11 Proven Benefits of Outdoor Learning. No doubt the first people to use a stone-age dwelling as a primitive schoolhouse thought themselves the originators of a magnificent breakthrough in education.
‘No more cave drawings for us!’ But in so doing, something was lost: the ability of children to touch, to smell, to walk, to climb, to experience. Learning became primarily theoretical, pictures and representations of the world instead of the world itself. We have only recently begun to see the beauty of educating kids outside the traditional classroom, whether in a garden in Kentucky, a forest in Wyoming, or on a mountaintop in Vermont.
But as these 11 benefits show, it’s high time more schools got back to the way we were. Better grades: Here’s one that ought to make every educator snap to attention. A proven way to improve recall is to experience something new and unfamiliar, which releases dopamine into the hippocampus where memories are created. Voice of Play: Benefits of Play. Physical If you asked kids why they run, jump, swing or climb, they’ll tell you, “…because it’s fun.”
But research shows outdoor play is much more than just fun, it’s necessary to help kids be physically fit and healthy. When kids are playing, they are learning reflexes and movement control, developing fine and gross motor skills and increasing flexibility and balancing skills. Healthy U - Benefits of Outdoor Play. Do you remember playing in the “great outdoors” as a kid?
It was always fun to be outside with friends, whether talking, cycling, walking or playing games and sports. Then, as time ran out or dusk fell, you knew it was time to go home for supper or get ready for bed. Or, perhaps your parents had to come and get you, because you were having so much fun outside that you lost track of time. For a wide range of reasons, today's children are simply not experiencing as much active, play time as their parents did. In fact, a new term is used to describe this trend; it's called nature deficit disorder (Richard Louv, 2008). 5 Health Benefits of Playing Outside - Care.com. There are many reasons kids should play outside, from expressing creativity to running freely to making messes without worrying about dirtying the house.
In addition to these fun reasons, there are also many health benefits that make outdoor play great for children. We interviewed Alyssa Ross, from KaBOOM, Debi Huang, a mom and writer behind the Go Explore Nature blog, and Lindsay Legendre, from the Natural Wildlife Federations Be Out There movement, to give us insight on the physical and mental health benefits of getting kids outside. Improves Vision A study reported by Optometry and Vision Science found that children who spend time outside have better distance vision than those who primarily play indoors. Promotes Social Skills Ross believes getting kids outside and having unstructured play promotes a wide range of skills. "On a playground not everyone gets to go down the slide first. The Benefits of Outdoor Play for Children.
Many parents today spent their childhood riding their bikes and playing games like baseball or dodgeball on side streets and in neighbors' backyards.
Many children today spend much of their time indoors, playing games on their tablets or watching television. The American Academy of Pediatrics says lots of unstructured outdoor play is critical to the health of children, though many have experienced a marked decline in the time they spend in free play. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says childhood obesity rates more than doubled from 1980 to 2010. Why Children Need to Play Outside – Even in the Winter Months. Earlychildhood NEWS - Article Reading Center. Tony sits focused on his computer screen.
Keisha's watching her favorite television program. And Kim is enthusiastically playing video games. What do these three scenarios have in common? They're all taking place indoors – a situation becoming more and more typical in the lives of American children. There are a number of reasons for this disturbing trend. Safety is another issue in today's world, with many parents reluctant to allow their children the freedom they themselves may have had as children. The Importance of Outdoor PlayThe outdoors is the very best place for preschoolers to practice and master emerging physical skills. Additionally, it is in the outdoors that children are likely to burn the most calories, which helps prevent obesity, a heart disease risk factor that has doubled in the past decade. Outdoor Play Contributes to LearningThe outdoors has something more to offer than just physical benefits.
Preschoolers learn much through their senses. Into The Woods outdoor nursery — Benefits of outdoor play — North London's first outdoor nursery. The chance to connect with the natural world; first hand experiences of life and growth; endless opportunities for creativity and imagination; improved fitness and physical development – the countless benefits of outdoor play have a real positive impact on children's lives.
There has been much research on the subject of the benefits of outdoor play. Helen Bilton, an Educational Advisor and author of 'Playing Outside' describes the three main benefits as she sees them: Firstly, outside is a natural environment for children. There is a freedom associated with the space which cannot be replicated inside. If children feel at home in a particular space it seems natural to teach them in that area; education should not be a chore but an enjoyable worthwhile occupation.
Secondly, the environment where we work and play affects our emotions. There are also clear health benefits associated with outdoor learning. Benefits of Early Years of Learning Outside the Classroom. Benefits of Connecting Children with Nature. Let The Children Play. A World Without Play Literature Review. The Research File.