Making the Most
of Outdoor Play

Are you concerned about the lack of physical activity in your family's life? Are you aware of the importance and long-term benefits of being physically active? Are you willing to make outdoor activity a regular part of your family's lifestyle? If the answer is yes to each of these questions, then you are on your way to a healthier, happier family. Here's why and how.

Is Outdoor Play Beneficial?

Maintaining healthy bodies is vital for physical well-being as well as mental and emotional development. Older family members must become role models who show interest in the importance of physical activity. If you enjoy and participate regularly in physical activity, then your children will follow suit. Childhood obesity is an escalating problem in our society. A commitment to daily physical activity and a balanced diet—fruits, vegetables, grains, and healthful beverages—is the best investment you and your family can make to live healthy and productive lives. TSpending time outdoors engaged in unstructured play and organized games and exercise is important for both adults and children (NAEYC, 1998). Here are just some of the reasons why children should spend time outdoors.

• The outdoors is the best place for young children to practice and master emerging physical skills.
• It's the place where they are most likely to burn more calories.
• The outside light stimulates the part of the brain that helps regulate the immune system and makes children feel happier.
• It's the best place for young children to learn through all five senses. They can see, hear, touch, taste, and smell so many wonderful things in the great outdoors.
   

How Can You Make the Most of Outdoor Play?

Once you commit to spending time outdoors as a family, be creative when planning activities. Consider the following activities

• Provide for dramatic play by offering props such as outdoor playhouses, sand and water areas, ride-on and toy wheeled vehicles, containers, and toy tools. Find realistic props for three-year-olds and open-ended props for four-year-olds (Brown, Sutterby, and Thornton, 2006).
• Enlist the help of young children with "big jobs" such as uncovering the sandbox, raking leaves, shoveling snow, sweeping the porch and steps, washing the car, taking your dog for a jog, planting and weeding a garden, and watering flowers. These get your child moving while providing learning experiences and instilling responsibility (Jones, 2005).
• Engage young children in playing non-competitive games—run or jog on a family treasure hunt, toss around as many different sized balls as you can, play "hit and go" croquet by hitting the ball across the yard and then running to it, play "hot potato" with a ball or disc, or try a hula hoop. Play classic games such as "London Bridge," "Hide and Seek," "Duck, Duck, Goose," "Mother, May I?," "Red Light, Green Light," and "Kick the Can."
• Plan away-from-home investigations such as nature walks in the forest or along a beach. Visit a farm during different times of the year to pick berries or apples. On windy days, go to a park or the beach to see how high you can fly a kite.
   

Some Helpful Tips

• Be sure to supervise children’s outdoor play.
• Schedule time throughout the week for outdoor activities.
• If you wonder how well you are doing, keep a log.
• Dress your child in loose-fitting clothing and proper shoes to permit freedom of movement.
• Layer clothing so it can be added or removed as body temperature rises and falls.
• Designate outdoor play areas where rolling, climbing, jumping, and tumbling are allowed.
• Buy toys and equipment that promote physical activity.
• Keep your child’s interests and abilities in mind when selecting activities.
• Use physical activity rather than treats as a reward.
• Include grandparents and other relatives and friends whenever possible.
• Place focus on the importance of having fun and learning rather than winning when playing games.
   

The great outdoors offers endless opportunities to look for, examine, and play with all sorts of interesting things. So go outdoors with your child, and let the fun begin!

References

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