Play is the primary and one of the most essential mediums through which children explore and learn about the world around them. It is their fundamental right and need, enriching them with multiple positive outcomes and improving their well-being on all levels of their development.
If we look at today’s children, we can notice that the type and manner of play have changed significantly compared to previous generations. Naturally, this is a consequence of growing up in a modern era where, like many other aspects, play also follows the technological revolution. Consequently, children spend more and more time playing on electronic devices, which reduces time spent in nature activities like soil play and direct interaction with peers.
The Impact of Technology on Children’s Well-being
Additionally, it exposes children to rapidly changing stimuli rich in sensory input, designed to capture attention. Unlike the virtual world, which is highly accelerated and intense, the natural environment is much more slow-paced and harmonious.
As with everything, technology has both good and bad sides. Excessive exposure to virtual content results in shorter attention spans, weaker vision, reduced levels of vitamin D, increased risk of physical illnesses like obesity, cardiovascular diseases, asthma, and even mental health issues such as difficulties in social interactions or depressive symptoms.
Finding Balance: Introducing Outdoor Play
To maximise the benefits of modern technologies while minimising potential harmful effects, it is necessary to include in children’s daily lives what technology cannot provide. Instead of spending most of the day on screens, children need to find balance by slowing down and living in the moment.
Grounding Through Outdoor Play
Grounding is the art of raising awareness of present experiences, one’s body, and the environment. One way to teach children to be more grounded and present in the moment is through outdoor play. Nature is a simple, quick, free, and accessible source of numerous positive mental and physical health effects.
Playing in nature involves both direct and indirect impact. In nature, children are in direct contact and interaction with different textures, shapes, living beings, and organisms in a static and dynamic environment, promoting the development of various skills.
The Health Benefits of Playing in Soil
Specifically, playing in the soil has many health benefits, one of the biggest being strengthening the immune system, which makes kids more resilient to diseases. Additionally, manipulating different textures like soil, sand, wood, grass, water, etc., develops fine and gross motor skills. Natural materials provide an immediate experience that connects children with the present moment and their current experience. Indirectly, they benefit from fresh air, sun absorption, activation of the skeletal-motor system, etc.
Of course, there are also benefits for their psychological development and well-being. Playing in soil, in nature, encourages creativity, reduces stress and depression, increases attention span, and improves academic performance. By alternating the mentioned direct and indirect impacts, as well as the intertwined influence of physical and psychological factors, time spent in nature leads to the enrichment of a child’s growth and development in a healthy way.
One way to encourage your little ones and get them interested in playing outdoors is to plan time for nature outings in advance, play outside with your children, or have them play in a group with their peers. You can facilitate this with playgrounds, park walks, picnics, or camping. Specifically, when it comes to playing in the soil, you can encourage children with organised activities like gardening, making mud cakes, scavenger hunts, playing with buckets and shovels, or you can let the child explore and invent games on their own using other materials they find in the environment.
Remember – if they make a mess, it means they had fun. In a sterile environment, there is little development, so let your children explore freely and don’t be afraid of the dirt – it washes off.
During “Psychology in the Garden,” our upcoming Saturday Camp Willingness programme, your child will experience the benefits of grounding through nature-based activities such as gardening, mindful hikes, and soil play. These activities are designed to help children slow down, connect with the natural world, and develop emotional regulation. Held every Saturday between 8am and 2pm in Malta and Gozo, this programme supports mindfulness, creativity, and physical well-being. More information about Psychology in the Garden can be found here.
Klara Grašić is a psychology graduate student from the University of Rijeka, Croatia. Currently, she is working as an intern at Willingness. She works at the University Counseling Center, where she leads study groups and supports students with disabilities. Klara is actively involved in mental health initiatives and is involved in several projects aimed at destigmatizing mental disorders and improving youth mental well-being.
References:
https://alabamapartnershipforchildren.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Dimensions_Vol43_2_ParkRiley_1.pdf https://dspace.library.uvic.ca/items/4fa8756b-a55d-4947-8144-89a999c529dc
https://www.brainbalancecenters.com/blog/play-in-dirt-healthy-sensory-activity