Under the Big Blue Sky: The Benefits of Outdoor Play
The best classroom and the richest cupboard are roofed only by the sky.
- Margaret McMillan
Make the most of the warm days full of blue sky and sunshine and get your kids outside. Even if they balk at the suggestion to go outside and play, once they are out in nature, most kids will play happily for hours.
Here are just a few of the benefits of getting your child outside!
Rest and Relaxation
It gives a break to over active minds and provides a rest for tired eyes that have spent too much time looking at screens.
Nature Lover
Surrounded by nature, children feel a connection with and gain an appreciation for other living things. Let them feel the soil between their fingers, watch for bugs in the yard or lay in the grass and count the birds that fly overhead. No toys are needed to develop a fondness for nature.
Good For Their Health
Running, biking, and playing games increases physical activity and promotes health. Children who are active at a young age are less likely to become obese or develop unhealthy eating habits.
Makes "Inside Time" More Fun
Allowing kids to run around outside "letting off steam" and using their "outdoor voices" results in kids who will be calmer and more relaxed when they come back indoors.
Learning Life Skills
When kids play with others, they learn to play cooperatively and practice their problem-solving skills. Building stone bridges across streams, ramps for tree squirrels, or fairy houses made out of branches and leaves all lend to working together instead of competing with each other.
Here's a few open-ended and creative toys that can add fun to outdoor play!
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