Hello everyone. Iโm Donna an Early Years Practitioner and Henry Facilitator and I facilitate a diverse range of children and parent sessions at our Children and Family Centres in Lewisham.
Letโs talk a little about why childrenย should spent more time outdoors and why outdoor play is vital for childrenโs development and learning.
Outdoor Playย
Dr Claire Wardenโฏis the founder of Scotlandโs first Nature Kindergarten. She leads on the debate of Outdoor Play and Outdoor Learningย this is what she has to say about being outdoors in nature:
โNature Pedagogy is an understanding of our sense of belonging to land, our sense of working with nature.ย There is a pedagogical shift when you move outside into natureโฆits learning with nature, not just teaching about it.โย
โNature is a powerful teacher.โย
As a qualified Forest School Leader and Beach School Practitioner I have a real passion for the outdoors and getting children and babies outside. As adults and parents we need to trust our own playful instinctsย remembering asย children how play just came naturally. When I think about my childhood and playing, nearly every fun memory was of being outdoors, playing with either my siblings or by myself. I still remember the long warm summer days I spent in my garden making mud pies and lotions and potions from petals, water, soil, stones and anything I could find outdoors. All I needed was the freedom to be outdoors, a bucket of water and left to my own play. I spent many wonderful days in the park with my siblings, where finding the best sticks we could, which became ourย magic wands. Not forgetting the potential of a puddle after rain. Where we would make boats from twigs and leaves to sail on the puddle, or use it to make a huge muddy soup bowl for the troll that we invented who lived in the park and came out when all the children had gone home.ย
As we remember ourย own outdoor experiences whatever they may be, likeย playing on the beach, sledding in theย snow, or playing with other children in ourย neighbourhood.ย We need to makeย sure our ownย childrenย get every opportunity toย createย their own lifelongย outdoor memories too.ย I once asked my 3 year old daughter why she liked being outdoors so much as we were walking in Greenwich Park, and I will never forget her reply โbecause outdoors doesnโt have a roof.โย My daughters response to that questionย struck a chord with me,ย as when you see the outside world through the eyes of a child, you look at things differently,ย as yes the outdoor world has no roof, no walls and is an ever changingย wondrousย environment. Itโs the best playground with a diversity of natural treasures and opportunities to both stimulate, promote and challenge all areas of a childโs learning journey.ย
Playing andโฏlearning outsideโฏalso helpsโฏchildrenโฏto understand and respect nature and theirโฏenvironment,โฏfor example learning and watching new lifecycles in the plant and wild life of the natural world they live in.ย Watching a tadpole turning into a frog or a spider spin itโs web, and seeing flowers and trees changing inย ย theย seasons.ย Outdoor play helps to educate the next generation of conservationist.ย Theโฏoutdoor environmentโฏoffers space andย freedom for children to move as most children are active learners, being outdoors helps support their spatial awareness.
Children also need to learn how to take and manage their own 
risks, if they never learn to do this, how will they ever understand danger or manage risky play. Such as learning they have to tread carefully over wet or slippery rocksย or how far up a tree they can climb before it becomes unsafe, and what they need to do to keep safe outdoors.ย Outdoor learningโฏlends itself to appropriate risk taking. Children need outdoor playย toย help themย learn how toย keep themselves safe in an ever-changing and unpredictableย environment.ย
Outdoor Play is good for us!ย
Outdoorย Play helps children toย grow strong and healthy,ย Studies show children burn more caloriesโฏoutdoors, helping to prevent obesity and strengthen bones and muscles. Outdoor play is good for us all and as I mentioned, has many health benefits for children both physically and mentally. So letโs get out doors with our children and family now we are able too, and have fun creating happy, family outdoor memories that will stay with your children for the rest of their life!ย ย
According to experts children ShouldโฏSpend at Least Three HoursโฏOutsideโฏEvery Day, gettingโฏchildrenโฏunglued from screens andโฏplaying outsideโฏisn’t always an easy task, but the benefits of spendingโฏtime outdoorsโฏare well worth the effort.ย
Some of childrenโs most developed language emerges naturally when they are playing outdoors. (Nursery World)ย
Children donโt remember their best day of television, but they will remember their best days spent outdoors!ย
Next time you and your child are outdoors, collect some small sticks and twigs as I will be showing you how to make your own stick person in a few weeks. Remember to follow your usual hygieneย procedures for hand washing after you have collected your sticks and twigs.ย
Vitamin D whyย itโsย important and whatย it doesย for our body?ย
Vitamin Dย helps regulate the amount of calcium and phosphate in the body. These nutrients are needed to keep bones,โฏteeth and musclesโฏhealthy. A lack ofโฏvitamin D canโฏlead to bone deformities such asโฏricketsย in children, and bone pain caused by a condition called osteomalacia in adults.ย
Vitamin D.ย Vitamin Dย is only found in a few foods, such as oily fish and eggs. It’s also added to some foods, such as fat spreads and breakfast cereals.ย ย
The best source ofย vitamin Dย is summer sunlight on our skin. Thisย is anotherย reason to get children outdoors and let them get some natural Vitamin D on their skin. But it’s important to keep your child’s skin safe in the sun.ย Most people can make enough vitamin D from being out in the sun daily for short periods with their forearms, hands or lower legs uncovered and without sunscreen fromย late March or early April to the end of September, especially fromย 11am to 3pm.ย ย
Children and sun protection advice from the NHSย
Children shouldn’t be out in the sun too long in hot weather.ย Take extra care to protect babies and children. Their skin is much more sensitive than adult skin, and damage caused byโฏrepeated exposure to sunlight could lead to skin cancer developing in later life.ย ย
Children aged under 6 months should be kept out of direct strong sunlight.ย
From March to October in the UK, children should:ย ย
- cover up with suitable clothingย ย
- spend time in the shade, particularly from 11am to 3pmย ย
- wear at least SPF30 sunscreenย
Apply sunscreen to areas not protected by clothing, such as the face, ears, feet and backs of hands.ย ย
To ensure they get enough vitamin D, allโฏchildrenโฏunder 5 are advised to takeโฏvitamin D supplements.ย
I hope you have found this informative and that it has inspired you to get outdoors and have some outdoor learning fun together!ย
As part of the National Week of Play the Early Years Alliance have produced a series of Family Time Tip Sheets.
