Preschool Outdoor Activities

When it comes to a child’s likelihood of developing myopia or nearsightedness, heredity is a significant factor. However, it is also evident that time spent outdoors is protective. Numerous studies have linked outdoor activity to the development of myopia. Preschoolers who spend more time outside have a lower risk of developing nearsightedness.

Furthermore, research shows that increasing outdoor play can help postpone or prevent nearsightedness. For instance, in one randomized study, 6-year-olds with an additional 40 minutes of daily outdoor time had a lower risk of developing myopia over the following three years.

Why is going outside beneficial? The answer is still up for debate. It may provide a rest for the eyes from “close work,” such as reading. A child’s likelihood of developing nearsightedness rises with frequent close work. Another theory is that bright daylight exposure is good for the eyes. However, playing outside is a great way to lower the chances of developing myopia.

Sunlight is significantly superior to the lighting we generally find indoors, especially on days when it is very gloomy outside. Therefore, the light exposure we experience changes when we go out.

That is crucial because many things go wrong when kids do not get enough sunlight. Outside can help kids maintain good sleep patterns because the brain uses light cues to tune its “inner clock” (see benefit #9 below).

Additionally, exposure to sunlight enables preschoolers to obtain adequate vitamin D, which positively impacts various health conditions, including bone growth, muscular function, and even the timing of puberty to expose youngster sunshine because it aids in synaptic development in the brain and helps preschoolers focus.

A recent study has convinced us we should not take illumination for granted. A child’s ability to learn could be hampered by extended hours in low-light settings until shown differently. Learn more about this fascinating study on the adverse effects of sunshine on preschoolers.

Kids gain more excellent exercise when playing outside, which is the plain sense that has been proven true. The magnitude of the effect varies, however. Consider, for instance, research done on 46 daycare-aged preschoolers. Researchers gave each child an accelerometer and a GPS gadget, who then monitored their activities throughout the day.

Another, more extensive study reported a similarly substantial effect among 5- and 6-year-olds: For every additional hour of outdoor play, kids spent about 10 minutes more in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity.

The analysis results revealed that outdoor play had a substantial impact on levels of physical activity.

Preschoolers were twice as active when playing outside, and for 10 minutes spent outdoors, there was almost an additional three minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity.

When 5- and 6-year-olds played outside for an additional hour, they engaged in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity for 10 minutes, according to a different, more extensive study.

However, spending time outside rarely has a noticeable effect. In research involving more than 6200 schoolpreschoolers (ages 9 to 11), each additional hour spent outside only resulted in an increase of 1.5 to 3.0 minutes of strenuous physical activity per day for the child.

The lesson? Playing outside can increase exercise levels, which is beneficial. Preschoolers’s health requires cardiovascular activity. Additionally, there is proof that exercise enhances a child’s cognitive function. However, we should consider the restrictions while including exercise as one of the advantages of outdoor play. Some preschoolers require more prodding to engage in physical activity.

How can we help? Finding friends for youngsters to play with outside is a great strategy. According to research, youngsters exercise more outside with friends or siblings. Increasing kids’ access to secure outside play areas is another strategy. Urban kids are reportedly when their communities block off portions of the streets for outdoor play.

The structure is also beneficial. According to one study, team sports and other structured outdoor activities gave teenagers the most exercise.

A toddler may not automatically become more physically coordinated just because they play outside. For instance, in a study of preschoolers, scientists discovered that preschoolers’s basic motor skills—such as tossing, somersaulting, and kicking a ball—did not significantly change depending on how frequently a child played outside. However, kids typically have more freedom to wander about when they play outside. They can run at peak speeds, scale towering buildings, and swing from their arms—things that are generally impossible indoors.

Playing outside could help youngsters develop specific physical abilities and skills; there were clues in the preschooler study. The kids who played outside more regularly were speedier on their feet. They completed a ten-meter race faster than their more “indoor” counterparts.

According to studies, young infants learn new words more quickly when they engage in hands-on exploration, mainly for things that young preschoolers can physically experience, such as movements, textures, touchable items, and physical processes.

It is much simpler to understand what squish implies if they experience the sensation of mud squishing through their fingertips. If they experiment with ice cubes in the sun, they are more likely to understand the melting idea! Kids can broaden their sensory experiences while outdoors and develop an intuitive, “embodied” understanding of how things work.

Do they need some inspiration for exploratory outdoor play? Check out these outdoor education opportunities, including:

Not all outside time is created equal. Experiences in nature have a unique, healing effect. For instance, experimental research indicates outdoor walks can hasten mood and stress recovery. Additionally, there is evidence that preschoolers become more focused and attentive after playing in natural surroundings.

In one experiment, researchers assessed preschoolers’s working memory and attention skills before sending them outside to play in a grassy park with trees or a paved schoolyard.

The location of where the preschoolers had played made a difference in the outcomes of the subsequent testing: Preschoolers who had played in the green space performed better on attention and working memory tests. The impact of playing in the schoolyard was insignificant.

There is substantial evidence that those who sense a strong connection to nature are happier and more adjusted, as will discuss in another Parenting Science piece.

For instance, in a recent study of preschoolers, researchers discovered that preschoolers are connected to nature. They were more inclined to be kind to others and were less likely to experience emotional problems. Additionally, observational studies suggest that a child’s lifetime exposure to green space may lower their likelihood of growing up with hyperactivity and attention deficit disorder.

Researchers discovered a strong correlation between outdoor play and social intelligence in a study of 575 Australian kids between the ages of 2 and 5. The majority of the preschoolers were more cooperative on the whole. Additionally, they could better convey their needs in words and engage in social play because they were more socially expressive. Playing video games, on the other hand, had no connection to social skills.

It does not demonstrate that preschoolers’s increased cooperation and social expression were brought about by outdoor play. Parents who insist on having their preschoolers play outside are more likely to teach them social graces! We understand the benefits of outdoor play.

Spending much time playing in parks and other green spaces might help kids feel happier, more focused, and less anxious. Moreover, it would make it simpler for them to preserve cordial bonds and improve their communication abilities. It is also evident that young preschoolers can pick up critical social lessons by playing with others, especially if they play with adults who exhibit positive conduct, including taking turns and compromising. Preschoolers will have more opportunities to learn social skills if they play outside with other kids.

People are more inclined to act in ways that safeguard the environment if they report having positive interactions with nature. This effect is visible in adults and preschoolers: Preschoolers who spend more time outdoors show more respect for wildlife and a more significant commitment to conservation.

Additionally, childhood events influence adult conduct. In a study that followed kids starting at age 6, researchers discovered a significant correlation between young adult environmental responsibility and childhood outdoor time.

They may have heard that preschoolers sleep more at night when playing outside. Does it exist? Studies support the opposite. For instance, no correlation was discovered between the amount of outdoor activity and the overall length of nighttime sleep in two investigations of young preschoolers.

Similarly, a study of older kids found no connection between time spent outside and the amount of sleep. Yes, preschoolers did spend longer in bed. Preschoolers stayed in bed for an additional 4 minutes for every hour they spent outside daily. However, these preschoolers were not sleeping anymore. They remain still longer.

Therefore, we should not assume that because our kids spend time outside, they will sleep longer. However, outdoor play can impact how long youngsters feel sleepy at night, a crucial part of sleep. Preschoolers who play outside may have an earlier bedtime.

The cause? Because sunshine is a potent cue for programming the brain’s “inner clock,” as we have mentioned, outside play exposes kids to it. When we get more sunlight, our brains grow more in tune with the natural cycles of day and night. Moreover, the brain is more capable of switching gears at night. It starts producing melatonin, the hormone that induces sleep, earlier in the evening.

However, be aware that should limit the child’s exposure to nighttime artificial lighting. As they explain in another post, kids are especially susceptible to its consequences. What is the best option? Practice excellent sleep hygiene and promote outside play by limiting a child’s exposure to artificial lights at night, especially in the hour before bed.

Furthermore, those intriguing theories make logic but need more thorough scientific investigation. The idea is that kids today are rarely allowed to participate in activities that could put them at risk of injury. That is problematic because learning cannot happen if they never challenge their physical prowess, such as climbing a tree.

Many preschoolers in Norway attend outside, natural schools where adults allow preschoolers to climb, leap, and take risks. The experiences may serve as behavioral therapy for overcoming phobias because preschoolers who succeed at these challenges feel elated. Preschoolers discover that they can handle frightening circumstances.

It does not imply that parents should stop trying to enforce safety regulations. Researchers advise us to change our focus from making preschoolers’s life “as safe as feasible” to “as safe as necessary,” and to provide preschoolers with outdoor areas with climbing structures suited to their developmental stages. Give kids access to sand, water, and construction materials.

Give kids a chance to look after animals and work in the garden. Additionally, research shows that youngsters love having these experiences—preschoolers, for instance, like playgrounds with more difficult climbing equipment.

More than 2800 toddlers (3 and 4 years old) visiting 125 different Head Start locations across the United States were recently monitored by researchers for changes in BMI (body mass index). Teachers in some centers allowed kids more time to play outside. Did the preschoolers’s BMIs change as a result? Yes.

For instance, researchers considered kids who were obese already at the start of the trial. How did the preschoolers who spent the most time outside each day (at least 60 minutes) compare to those who paid the least time outside (at least 20 minutes)? With a difference between groups of roughly 0.34 BMI points, the preschoolers who spent more time out dropped the most weight.

A strong correlation between obesity risk and time spent playing outside was discovered again when researchers examined the development of all preschoolers, including those who started the trial with normal BMIs: For every additional minute of outdoor play, a kid was 1% less likely to become obese.