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You are here: Home / Posts / Why Kids Benefit From More Outdoor Play
Why Kids Benefit From More Outdoor Play

February 21, 2019 By Alana Pace 2 Comments

Why Kids Benefit From More Outdoor Play

Sadly this generation is spending less time engaged in outdoor play than generations before. Find out why we should prioritize time in nature for our kids.


One of the best parts of my childhood was living in a house that backed onto greenbelt.

The evergreen forest became the stage for mine and my brothers’ curiosity, imagination, and independence. Summer after summer, we spent most of our days playing on the trail that meandered through the woods.

One of our favourite activities was to slide on our gumboots, grab my dad’s industrial-sized white buckets, and hunt for frogs. After filling the plastic pale with murky-green water, we waded in the pond until we caught our fill. Lunch and dinner were our only commitments.

I don’t know how we did it, but we managed to carry our massive buckets home. Caked with mud, my mom always insisted we take a shower before we did anything else.

Proudly, we stored our frogs on our back patio. By the time dinner had ended, our amphibious friends had typically made the great escape and were already back in the refuge of the forest. On other days, we rode our bikes, went to the park, or rounded up neighbourhood kids for a game of baseball. Though this childhood was typical for me and my friends, it is no longer typical for my children’s generation.

Kids are spending less time engaging in outdoor play

A study conducted by National Trust found that children in the U.K. are spending about half the amount of time outdoors than their parents had. Specifically, we sent an average of about eight hours a week outside while our kids now spend about four hours. A study by Seattle Children’s Research Institute found that only 40 per cent of mothers and 24 per cent of fathers took their children outside each day. And approximately half of the children weren’t going outside regularly.

The reason for the rapid decline in time spent in nature may seem obvious. One of the biggest factors was, of course, the advent of smart devices. Children are spending an increasing amount of time on phones, computers, and tablets.

Other reasons children are spending less engaged in outdoor play:

  • Children are less comfortable going outside. A survey conducted in the U.S. by the Nature Conservancy found that 80 per cent of children didn’t want to go outside because of the weather and/or being uncomfortable. About 49 per cent of children “said they just weren’t interested in spending time in nature.”
  • Parents fear children’s safety. Caregivers reported worrying about traffic, dangerous play, and stranger danger as reasons they are less inclined to let their children play.
  • Parents and educators want children to spend more time on academics which is thus displacing play.

benefits of more outdoor play

This is why more outdoor play is needed

As a parent, all it takes is a quick trip outside when my kids start to fight and I can see the benefits of outdoor play. I find it’s easier for my kids to self-regulate — they play differently and they seem happier than when they’ve spent too much time inside. In the article, Nature and Its Influence on Children’s Outdoor Play, researchers list the following as some of the benefits of children spending more time outdoors:

[Continue reading here…]

You may also enjoy this article on Why Less Extracurricular Activities Are Actually More Beneficial for Kids

Filed Under: Parenting Toddlers, Parenting Tweens and Beyond, Parenting Young Children, Posts, Your Child's Education Tagged With: extracurricular activities for kids, gross motor skills, learning through play, outdoor play, Parenting, play-based learning

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Hi! I'm Alana. When I'm not nursing cold, stale coffee, I usually can be found with the baby on my hip, barefoot, and racing after my two older kids. Thanks to a degree in psychology and a free-range childhood backing onto an expansive evergreen forest, positive parenting and play-based learning are my passions. Read more here.

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Often people fear responsive parenting will create Often people fear responsive parenting will create needy kids. 

Developmental research suggests otherwise. 

The more reliably and compassionately that we respond to our children’s needs, the more secure and assured they feel to venture out into the world.

Attachment & independence aren’t two opposite sides of a spectrum but two sides of the same coin.
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I remember in my earlier days of parenting when I I remember in my earlier days of parenting when I had two under two so much of my life was spent thinking I’ll be happy when…

I’ll be happy when they sleep through the night.

I’ll be happy when my husband doesn’t have to work such late hours.

I’ll be happy when I look and feel like myself again and not a feeding troth 😬😬😬

As it turns out this struggle with finding happiness isn’t unique to me or parenting. 

Collectively our mental health is suffering, but there are many research backed ways to improve happiness. (Link in bio to read more).
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Though there are countless people who understand t Though there are countless people who understand the importance of positive, responsive parenting, the idea that young children should self-soothe remains a prevalent belief.

Though this ideology is well-intentioned, it actually goes against what we know about human development.

Babies come into the world highly dependent on responsive caregiving not only for nurturance and protection but also to foster social and emotional development.

While it may seem that leaving a child to cry will help her learn to cope, it actually floods her brain with cortisol. She doesn’t learn to self-soothe but instead to shut down.

Though it may seem counterintuitive to some, independence is fostered through responsive care. The less stressed a child feels, the safer he feels to explore his world. The less stressed he feels, the more appropriate his emotional responses become.

This is first seen in late infancy but pervades through childhood and adulthood.

Have any questions about these findings? Feel free to comment below or send me a message!
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So often independence and attachment are thought t So often independence and attachment are thought to be mutually exclusive.
However, research shows that in order for children (and adults) to be independent, they need to feel safe and secure within their closest relationships. In childhood, this means having caregivers who respond to distress and both emotional and physical needs.
In adulthood, people who have responsive and caring partners feel more stable and comfortable being independent.
So hold and comfort those babies.
Hug and respond to your kids.
Love and hold space for the adults you are closest to.
Attachment fosters independence.
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