Play is one of children’s fundamental needs and the main activity they spend most of their time on. It is a way for children to discover themselves and the world around them. Through play, children learn, develop self-control, and learn how to cooperate with their peers. They also learn about socialisation and develop emotional skills, empathy, and abilities like conflict resolution. It is proven that play is essential for children’s development, including their physical, social, intellectual, and socio-emotional abilities.
Compared to previous generations, children today spend much more time indoors, which doesn’t fully meet their need for autonomy, independence, acquiring new skills, and exploring through movement. Outdoor play gives children real interaction with their environment and has a positive impact on their physical and mental health. Research also shows that it boosts confidence, motivation and curiosity in exploring the world around them. Studies have found that children who play freely outdoors become more creative and better at problem-solving. Additionally, spending time in nature and connecting children with the environment fosters a sense of care and responsibility for it.
Nature is an endless source and provides a rich environment setting for children’s development. It includes various textures, materials, colours, sizes and shapes that children can interact with directly. This stimulating environment offers many opportunities for free and open play, with the added uniqueness of its ever-changing nature.
Outdoor play encourages holistic child development, which includes:
- Socio-emotional development
Outdoor play gives children the opportunity to learn how to function in a group, which involves teamwork, learning rules, and developing social skills. Active participation in play allows children to experience a wide range of emotions, learn to regulate and control them and recognise others’ emotional reactions and how to respond to them. An important part of socio-emotional development in outdoor play is interaction with living creatures in nature. This includes developing empathy toward animals and plants and learning how to treat them with respect and care.
- Physical development
Spending time outdoors stimulates physical activity and fulfils children’s need for movement. Play plays a significant role in developing fine and gross motor skills, balance, and coordination through interaction with a diverse and changing environment. Physical activity also helps regulate emotions, relax, and manage unpleasant emotions like anger and tension. It also helps built the healthy habit of spending time outdoors while engaging in various activities.
- Cognitive development
The environment in which a child spends time has a great influence on their development. Natural settings are rich in detail and complexity and so they offer a wide range of interesting segments for children to explore, observe, compare, and categorise. The outdoor environment promotes cognitive development while expanding the range of rich experiences. Children have the chance to encounter birds, plants, insects, animals, soil, rocks, various habitats, and landscapes. Cognitive stimulation from the natural environment includes using available resources that surround them to reuse, build, interact with or just observe. Practical and imaginative thinking style that is developed in that way helps children gain lifelong skills that greatly benefit their overall development.
During “Psychology in the Garden,” our upcoming Saturday Camp Willingness programme, your child will enjoy activities such as mindful hikes, yoga, crafts, and gratitude exercises, all while surrounded by nature. This enriching experience will support their mental health by fostering mindfulness, emotional regulation, and a deeper connection to the natural world. Held every Saturday between 8am and 2pm in Malta and Gozo, this programme is a wonderful opportunity for children to develop these important life skills in a nurturing outdoor setting. 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://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1108430.pdf
https://inspiredmarkings.com/8-mental-health-benefits-of-outdoor-play-for-children/
https://repozitorij.ufzg.unizg.hr/islandora/object/ufzg:3353/datastream/PDF/view
Bento, G., & Dias, G. (2017). The importance of outdoor play for young children’s healthy development. Porto Biomedical Journal, 2(5), 157–160. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pbj.2017.03.003
https://repozitorij.ufzg.unizg.hr/islandora/object/ufzg%3A4024/datastream/PDF/view