Research

Why Children need to spend more time outdoors rather than inside

• It builds confidence. The way that kids play in nature has a lot less structure than most types of indoor play. There are infinite ways to interact with outdoor environments, from the backyard to the park to the local hiking trail or lake, and letting your child choose how he treats nature means he has the power to control his own actions.
• It promotes creativity and imagination. This unstructured style of play also allows kids to interact meaningfully with their surroundings. They can think more freely, design their own activities, and approach the world in inventive ways.
• It teaches responsibility. Living things die if mistreated or not taken care of properly, and entrusting a child to take care of the living parts of their environment means they’ll learn what happens when they forget to water a plant, or pull a flower out by its roots.
• It provides different stimulation. Nature may seem less stimulating than your son’s violent video game, but in reality, it activates more senses—you can see, hear, smell, and touch outdoor environments. “As the young spend less and less of their lives in natural surroundings, their senses narrow,” Louv warns, “and this reduces the richness of human experience.”
• It gets kids moving. Most ways of interacting with nature involve more exercise than sitting on the couch. Your kid doesn’t have to be joining the local soccer team or riding a bike through the park—even a walk will get her blood pumping. Not only is exercise good for kids’ bodies, but it seems to make them more focused, which is especially beneficial for kids with ADHD.
• It makes them think. Louv says that nature creates a unique sense of wonder for kids that no other environment can provide. The phenomena that occur naturally in backyards and parks everyday make kids ask questions about the earth and the life that it supports.

https://www.marketingweek.com/2016/03/22/persil-deepens-commitment-to-critical-issue-of-childrens-playtime-with-film-set-in-us-prison/

Persil is hoping to bring about behavioural change by encouraging parents to “get out and get dirty with their children” as it evolves its ‘Dirt is good’ marketing strategy to focus on the worrying statistic that prisoners at a maximum security jail in the US spend more time outside than the average child.




https://www.commonsensemedia.org/videos/how-technology-affects-kids-social-emotional-learning#

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cYqPGqczdvo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3CMS9xnBRkc

Survey from stuff article

Nature activities for kids

The changing nature of the outdoors makes it an incredibly stimulating and multi-sensory place to play. This is important as babies and young children learn and gain experience through all their senses.

Children who gain knowledge and appreciation of nature are more likely to become adults with a greater sense of environmental awareness.

While getting out and about is exciting, it may be frightening or daunting for some little ones so be aware of new sensations that could startle or alarm them.

A great way to create happy memories of outdoor play and nature is to collect and bring things home, such as twigs, leaves or stones. These can be decorated, put in a keepsake jar or used to make a picture. Keeping items like this in your child’s view for a few days will remind them of their adventures outside and also help with their awareness of shapes, colours and textures.

Urban spaces

Not everyone has easy access to natural spaces outside, with many families in the UK living in built-up urban areas. There might not be woodlands on your doorstep, but there will still be some ways in which you can get outside with your little ones in your neighbourhood. Most local authority websites have a ‘parks and open spaces’ section where you can find free, local outdoor play areas to visit. Think about what you can do in the space you have. In most places, for instance, you can run around with your children or look up to watch the clouds, birds and planes go by.

Regardless of the scenery, being outside is a chance to spend time with your children without interruption and the distractions that are more likely to affect playtime indoors. It can be really therapeutic to switch off your phone for a while and enjoy the simple pleasure of spending time with your child – they’ll feel the benefit of your attention as well as you.

Embracing risk

The fear of traffic, concerns over personal safety and even the weather can affect how parents feel about their children playing outdoors. Finding the right balance between safety and encouraging new experiences can be tricky.

Before starting an activity, ask yourself: what will my child gain from doing this, then to think about the risks, and finally consider how you might avoid or mitigate those risks. If you think most risks are either a) avoidable by taking appropriate care or b) unlikely to happen, then just get on with enjoying the activity.