Kids love playing outdoors - getting to run around, engage with all five senses and explore the world around them. It’s also a great way to get out of the house and maybe even make new friends.
And there’s more to it than getting some fresh air and having loads of fun! Outdoor play can contribute to your child’s development in so many ways. Here are some benefits of outdoor play for mums and their children.
Physical Development
All that space to run and play creates so many opportunities for your child’s physical development. Think of all the running, jumping, crawling, climbing, throwing and catching tiny tots get to do at the park. While this might just seem like playtime on the surface, it also means that your child is constantly improving their gross motor skills, hand eye coordination, spatial awareness, balance and strength. Even the simplest of games can keep their physical skills growing!
And the growth isn’t just for the little ones, either! When supervising outdoor play, mums are constantly deciding when to give their child a hand, and when it’s best to let them learn by falling and getting back up on their own.
If your child is outgrowing the playground, trying out a more advanced climbing frame or picking up a children’s bike might be the next step.
Social Development
Children love to bond by showing mum the newest things they’ve discovered! Matching your child’s excitement teaches them to feel comfortable sharing their thoughts and feelings with you, and that you’ll be there to listen. It’s a great way to begin forming a lifelong dynamic of open communication between the two of you.
Outdoor play is great for children’s social development with others, too. Whether they’re playing with family, friends they already know or children they’ve just met, social skills on the playground can work in a completely different context to those at home or in a classroom setting.
When playing outdoors, children learn to make decisions and communicate in a faster paced setting. This quickly improves your child’s observational skills and self awareness, as they learn how to send and receive information with fewer words. You’ll see their teamwork improve in no time!
Emotional and Intellectual Development
Children’s emotional and intellectual development can be easily overlooked when it comes to outdoor play, but it has enormous benefits for children’s minds.
One of the biggest benefits of outdoor play is that it develops your child’s independence. Outside, children learn to take charge of their own learning and automatically want to begin exploring the world around them. As they delve into all these new experiences, they start learning how to take risks and test their limits, picking up new skills along the way.
Your children will also get to develop their creativity. We all know children love to play pretend, and with all the sights and sounds the outdoors can offer, their imaginations get to run wild.
Join in the fun by playing along to get their creative juices flowing! Not only can you encourage bub to think outside the box, but you’ll get to create some special memories along the way, too.
Outdoor play might be all fun and games, but it also comes with some amazing benefits for your children’s development. Incorporating outdoor play into your child’s daily routine can set them up to enjoy some healthy habits for life.
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