Why is Outside Play Important for Your Child?
The importance of outside play for your child seems obvious, right? Well, it is! So why does the majority of parents limit this very beneficial activity? Let’s peel back the layers and dig deep into this to hopefully give you a better view on this matter.
I can probably guess what you’re thinking thus far…the weather hasn’t been cooperating, I am too tired after work, you can’t trust people these days, my child only likes video games, and the list goes on and on. I can assure you that many of these thoughts going through your head are indeed a truth, but it’s your truth. We are only limited to desire, motivation, and imagination. First, we are going to hit on the benefits of outside play. After that, we will discuss how we can conquer these “truths” and then explore some outside activities. I hope you’re as excited as I am!
So, something a little scary in today’s structure, according to “The National Trust,” children are only playing outside just over 4 hours a week. Now that is very disturbing, considering how much time we spent playing outside as children. The internal benefit to outside play is definitely the vitamin D that comes from the sun. What does vitamin D do you wonder? Well, this can reduce depression, boost the immune system, and enhances weight loss by being a natural appetite suppressant. Another benefit is something that you may cringe your teeth about…taking risks. My little girl is three years old and I must admit, it is sometimes difficult to witness her try something on the playground or just outside in general that may end wrong. I realize though, that my little girl needs to learn how to fail in order to succeed. She needs to learn how to solve whatever obstacle she is facing and learn her limits and how to break through them. Don’t get me wrong, I am paying attention to make sure it won’t be a physical injury, such as a broken leg. The reward/cost is just too great for me to be overbearing.
Unstructured time is a point that piggy-backs from the previous point. Unstructured time outside is NOT telling your children to go outside and play and then you continue doing your own thing. This could be the case if your child is old enough, but I am speaking in general terms. Unstructured time just means that they are playing without your interference. This will help your child’s mental make-up with: creativity, prioritizing, multitasking, troubleshooting, etc. I know it is easier to tell your child what activities he or she can do, but just let them figure this out for themselves.
My final point for the importance of outside play is the sensory benefits. Yes, we are talking about hearing, smelling, tasting, sight, and feeling. When your little one is on their tablet or watching videos, they are only using sight and sound. If your child is outside playing and exploring, all of the senses kick in on all cylinders. They find a flowers that has the prettiest color, so they feel and smell it. Tasting isn’t out of the picture with outside play either unfortunately. I know I have caught my little girl using curiosity as an excuse for tasting things she’s found in nature and I say that this is just fine, as long as you explain why it shouldn’t happen again to that particular object. We, as humans, call this a learning experience.
Now that you know why outside play is so important, how can we defeat all of the obstacles keeping us from taking our kids outside? That’s easy, stop making excuses. I know it is blunt and I wish there was another way to say it, but if you’ve read this far then I think you’re just fine with me being direct. If you’re going to sit on the couch because you’re tired, then sit on the bench at the park. If it is too cold outside (above 32 degree) then bundle them up and let them play outside like you did as a kid. If it is in the 90s and not dangerously hot outside, then just make sure they have sunscreen on and stay hydrated with breaks here and there…no different than when we were kids. There are solutions to all of our “truths,” we just need to be realistic and think. As far as activities to do outside, just let your little one use their imagination and be creative. Go along with it! It will be very beneficial to them and the bond you both have!
