7 Benefits Of Playing Outside For Young Kids
Growing up on an organic dairy farm, I was outside for a significant amount of my childhood. Getting up early for farm chores, helping in my mother’s garden, playing games barefooted in the lawn, and splashing in puddles after a rainstorm. I grew to LOVE the outdoors.
Unknown to me then, being outside all those years developed a love for nature inside me that I am so appreciative for! I fell in love with sunrises, grass between my toes, and the sun warming my skin long before it was popular on Instagram. I was unaware of the 7 benefits of playing outside for young kids.
To me, being outside was just awesome – I didn’t know there were so many benefits that came along with it. Now I know that the outdoors and nature has a positive effect on ALL human beings, young and old alike. It is so important for young children to get outside and have the opportunity to play and explore, on a DAILY basis. Here are 7 Benefits of Playing Outside for Young Kids.
1. Fresh Air
I think it’s safe to say that most people know fresh air is good for them. But why is it good? Why does it matter? And is it just important for kids to breathe fresh air? An absolutely, resounding, yes! Research shows that kids who breathe fresh air often have stronger lungs, hearts, and bodies overall. Some studies suggest they are less likely to occur diseases and medical issues that are so rampant in our world today, like diabetes, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol. Getting outside is a way for your children to breathe clean, fresh air.
2. New Scenery
The sights, sounds, and smells of a home become pretty familiar to all of us after we spend hours in the home. Young children know where things are in the house, what their favorite toy is, and all the things they shouldn’t touch or grab in mom’s kitchen.
But take them outside? There’s something new every day! New sights – from the flowers to the airplanes. New smells – from the neighbors laundry or a bakery shop near by. And new sounds – from the birds chirping and traffic driving by. Scenery that is even a little bit different from the day before helps engage your child’s mind. It helps them observe, process, and learn.
3. Enhanced Movement
Something about the outdoors makes us want to run, hop, skip, and jump. When the doors are opened to the outside, there’s suddenly extra room to get all the wiggles out. Whether you’re walking down the street, playing in the backyard, or scrambling around at your local playground, movement is enhanced when playing outdoors. There’s no limits like furniture in the way or fragile things on the shelf. Let your kids run, jump, and shout in the glorious outdoors. No matter what the weather’s like, physical activity for young kids can almost always happen outdoors.
4. Opportunities to Explore
One of the reasons why nature and the outdoors is so great is because it is always changing! Temperatures, seasons, foliage, humidity, clouds, wind, and more – there’s something new to explore every day. As seasons change, there’s always something different to learn and explore.
Are the leaves bright green, turning yellow, falling down, or are there no leaves at all? Is water outside a puddle on the ground, a midst in the air, or frozen on the branches? The outdoors provides opportunities for children to explore new spaces, sights, sounds, and smells every day.
5. Vitamin D
Vitamin D from sunlight is another favorite thing about the great outdoors. We can actually get a vitamin into our bodies just by being outside! Feeling the sun warm my skin has always been a favorite sensation. I know it’s having a positive effect on my little boys as well. Even if it’s cold out, the sun shining on your face has many benefits for your body. Expose the skin to the sun (in healthy doses of course) and let that sunshine work wonders on your systems.
6. Learning Boundaries
All homes have roads that lead to them. And roads have traffic! The road that runs along our home is busier than I’d like it to be, but I can appreciate the opportunities it is to teach our boys about boundaries. They have clear lines they cannot go past to keep them from the busy road. There are also boundaries in place for the neighbors yard. When walking around the block or visiting the park, they know (or are learning) to not touch other people’s dogs, vehicles, or personal items (unless given permission). The outdoors provides opportunity to teach boundaries to your kids.
7. Earthing
What is earthing? In simple terms, going outside barefoot. Or when your skin touches part of the earth, such as grass, sand, rocks, or dirt. The earth contains free electrons that your body captures when you connect your skin to the earth. It is an amazing thing and has many benefits for the body. Learn more about earthing and it’s benefits at Barefoot Healing.
Conclusion:
Getting outside, both for yourself and for your kids, is HUGE to your health, happiness, and wholeness. If you allow your kids to play outside for a certain amount of time each day, chances are you will be outside too, and all of you will reap the benefits together! Being outside and playing in nature provides the kids with fresh air, new scenery, enhanced movement, opportunities to explore, Vitamin D, learning boundaries, and grounding. Get outside every day and watch the benefits bless your whole family.
Get out, go adventure.
Not sure what to do when you’re outside?
Check out – 50 Fun Activities To Do Outdoors with Kids
Itís hard to come by educated people for this subject, but you seem like you know what youíre talking about! Thanks