How to Support a Child’s Physical Development: The Importance of Outdoor Play

Exercise is healthy, and even more so when it’s outdoors! I think we can all agree on that, right? However, while playing outside used to be a regular and obvious part of childhood, today it is often replaced by other activities, such as sitting in front of a phone or computer. So, how can we ensure our children stay active outdoors, and why is it so important? That’s exactly what we’ll be discussing today!

Why is Outdoor Activity Important?

Outdoor activity supports a child on many levels. Firstly, the outdoors offers unlimited space for running, jumping, climbing, and cycling — all activities that help develop a child’s gross and fine motor skills. Being outside allows children to experience various stimuli — the surrounding colours, sounds, and smells all provide sensory input, helping children learn about the world around them with the right attention. This exposure also stimulates their creativity and imagination!

Outdoor play also offers access to a variety of surfaces — it’s not just the perfect carpet in a room. There’s grass, pavement, asphalt, puddles, pebbles, and uneven ground. This variety helps enhance a child’s coordination and balance. And above all, it’s never boring! It’s also worth noting that spending time outdoors boosts the production of vitamin D, which is essential for the proper development of bones.

Being outdoors also provides an ideal space for a child to form new relationships. Group play fosters the development of social skills among children, and participating in these activities supports their mental health and well-being.

How to play outside?

When planning outdoor activities with children, you can use familiar games such as hide and seek, tag, and red rover, as well as new ideas found on various parenting blogs. We’ve also prepared some suggestions for you!

Tip: To make playtime more enticing, try incorporating themes from their favourite shows. For example, replace the role of the tagger with a “Paw Patrol” character or play hide and seek in the “Frozen” kingdom with Elsa. 🙂

1. Nature Masters — Identifying Flowers and Trees. Prepare a sheet with pictures of local plants and draw a map for the children. Their task is to find all the plants in the shortest time possible. Binoculars, a magnifying glass, and a compass can be fun additions, but they’re not essential.
2. Flying Messages — Playing Telephone with a Frisbee. Children sit on the grass and play the traditional game of telephone. However, the last person in line must throw a frisbee with the heard phrase to another person in their team.
3. Water Agents — This is perfect for warm days. Set up a sprinkler on the grass with a gentle water stream. Like agents navigating a laser maze, children must jump through the sprinkler trying to get as little wet as possible.
4. Who Likes What — A fun movement game. Children stand in a circle. One child goes to the center and finishes the sentence: “Who, like me…” (e.g. “likes tomato soup”). The children who agree with the statement must swap places with someone in the circle. The child who doesn’t find a spot goes to the center and starts a new round with a new statement
5. Cloud Shapes — A perfect game for calming down and sparking creativity. Lie on the grass and look at the clouds. The task is to observe the clouds and describe the shapes you see. You can also give categories of objects to look for, such as animals, furniture, or characters from cartoons:)

In conclusion, outdoor play is a fantastic opportunity that should be organized for children in various ways. And don’t worry about the weather! Even a walk in the rain can be a great adventure and learning experience for a child. For example, you can observe raindrops through a magnifying glass! Have fun!