It’s been proven that getting outdoors is good for the mind, body and soul. And it’s just as true for little ones as it is for grown-ups.
Getting outside, whatever the weather, has so many excellent outcomes that it’s an integral aspect of the EYFS curriculum. At Hopes & Dreams, we strive to incorporate nature play into each day because we know how enriching it is.
Wondering what the benefits of nature play are? Keep reading!
Physical Benefits
Getting outside provides more space, and that means more opportunities for movement.
There’s so much to do outside that challenges children’s growing bodies in different ways, like swinging, hanging, jumping and balancing. Being able to move around in these ways improves children’s fitness levels, develops their coordination and balance and enhances their motor skills. Strengthening their larger muscles in this way will help them strengthen their smaller ones, enabling them to become more independent and complete more tasks alone, such as being able to fasten up their own coat or do their own fiddly buttons.
Spending plenty of time outdoors also sets children up to develop a healthy relationship with exercise and nature itself, especially if you grant them access to outside settings in all weather. The fresh air and vitamin D absorbed from the sun can also work wonders, transforming moods and boosting the immune systems of the children in your care.
Emotional Benefits
Nature play doesn’t just benefit physical development.
By providing children plenty of time to gulp in the fresh air and enjoy the freedom of outside, you are hugely benefiting their communication skills. With more space around them, teamwork happens more readily, and we find easy resolutions for any conflicts that arise.
Observational skills are also improved when children clock up plenty of hours outside. Playing outside not only offers bigger, more exciting and often messier opportunities for exploration and development, it also presents more of it. There is so much to see! Children who can spend lots of time outdoors in self-directed play, where they don’t need to continually ask adults for help, will naturally begin to assess the world differently.
Spending time every day in nature also stimulates a pure love for it. And what more does this world need than future adults who have a great connection with nature?
Developmental Benefits
Unstructured play, especially when taken outdoors, improves children’s attention span because they can self-direct their learning and develop an ability to focus for longer periods naturally. A study by Schutte et all (2015) even found that a 20-minute walk in a natural environment promoted children’s attentional control… just twenty minutes!
Another way nature play helps little people grow is its impact on executive function. Studies show that lots of time spent in free play outside stimulates children’s brains in areas such as planning, multi-tasking, organising and prioritising at a higher level. Through both cooperative play with peers and time playing alone, children practice problem-solving
During self-directed outdoor play, children can become more independent and lean into their self-reliance. And when we let children experience the wild outside, they get a whole new level of sensory feedback from the array of textures. They work on proprioception skills - the ability to sense what different areas of your body are doing without looking - through the changes in terrain and gradient. And their spatial awareness is challenged through a whole new range of movements, like swinging, jumping and crawling.
How We Incorporate Nature Play At Hopes & Dreams
At Hopes & Dreams, we are committed to nurturing the children in our settings with plenty of hours outside.
Exciting Excursions
Most weeks, a small group of children from each setting go on an excursion. Not every child will go on every trip; we keep it fair and select outings that are going to be the most enjoyable and beneficial for each child.
Each child is assessed for their readiness to go on trips. It’s a decision made by our team, and they decide what sort of outdoor adventure is best suited to each individual. Every child WILL go on a trip - when they are ready. And we can’t wait to take them!
Keeping the groups small for our excursions means that the children stay safe because our attention isn’t stretched. We have got such an incredible landscape on our doorstep, and it is so much fun to explore it with the children.
No Such Thing As Bad Weather
Come rain or shine, you’ll find us outside. Whether playing in the outdoor spaces or adventuring further afield, we take the children outside in all weathers, providing a beautiful insight into how the world changes from season to season.
Supporting Activities
Whether we’re inside or out, you’ll find children at Hopes & Dreams settings doing activities that link to and promote the natural world. From leaf collecting, bug hunts and drawing in the sand outside to gluing and sticking found objects and leaf printing inside, there’s so much we do to promote a love for the outdoors.
And boy, do they love it.
Engaging In Our Heritage
At Hopes & Dreams, we’re blessed to be settled among a rich tapestry of natural beauty and intrigue. So we make full use of it.
Outings across the island engage, inspire, challenge and support your child’s development. By arranging trips to local heritage sites, beaches, glens and forests, all of the children at each of our settings - from Ramsey to Port Erin - can explore our incredible island and discover the magic of the Isle of Man. It’s our giant playground!
Getting Outside Is Integral To Your Child’s Development
Being outdoors is one of the greatest joys we can share with the children in our care.
At Hopes & Dreams, we do all we can to promote a love of nature and being outside so you can continue adventuring outdoors together as a family.
Spending time outside goes hand in hand with mental wellness for kids and adults alike. Wondering how else we support our practitioners and promote staff wellbeing? Find out here.
