Why Kids Need To Play Outdoors

We all want to raise bright youngsters that will one day grow up to do brilliant things (or at least keep themselves out of trouble, wink). Did you know that the early building blocks for your child’s brilliance begin at home, specifically in the backyard?

Unlike indoor play, playing outdoors is a multi-sensory learning experience. Children get to hear, see, smell and touch elements that help them apply what they are learning at school. Children are also exposed to stimuli that challenge them to use their brains in unique ways. Emerging child development research supports that playing outdoors helps children develop executive functions, behavioral skills and increases their attention span.

So what’s an ideal outdoor play setting? Outdoor playscapes could be natural or constructed. A natural playscape is one that has very little man made construction. Residential communities near lakes, rolling hills or trees provide excellent natural playscapes for children who can be accompanied by an adult during their playtime. An urban playscape is another option that is similar to a natural playscape. The difference between the two is that an urban playscape is consciously shaped to encourage interaction with nature. Examples include the Street Scrabble installation in Seattle, the Riverbank Project in Madrid and the bike routes that are popping up on downtown streets everywhere.

The above are ideal existing options for exposing children to nature through outdoor play. However, if you’re like most of us city dwellers you probably have a modest backyard that’s nothing more than a manicured field of grass framed with a few potted plants. Don’t worry, you can still raise an organic kid in the city by creating a constructed playscape. With approval to build on your property, you can create a constructed playscape that’s a simple maze or tunnel path or an extravagance like Jurassic Park in your backyard. It’s really up to your imagination and budget.

Any of the mentioned options are terrific choices that will benefit children’s physical, spiritual and intellectual development and likely help them to value and care for the world. Who knows, you may raise the child who grows up to find a solution for pollution or puts an end to deforestation.