The many benefits of outdoor play for children’s health are well documented. Indeed, a general practitioner or a nurse who has obtained a diploma MSN FNP online program will tell you that outdoor play is essential to a child’s health and development in a variety of ways – including physical, mental, emotional and social.
If you are a parent who wants to prioritize the health of your children, it is of utmost importance that you encourage them to get outside, get the essential fresh air and vitamin D, and most importantly, keep their bodies healthy. healthy way to exercise.
This is why.
The physical benefits of outdoor play for children
Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you probably share the opinion that going outside always makes you feel better – both mentally and physically. It could be the fresh air, the greenery, or maybe the vitamin D. In fact, the vitamin D from sunlight that our bodies absorb when we’re outdoors can help us feel both healthier and stronger. Conversely, anyone who has ever had a vitamin D deficiency will know that it can cause them to feel weak and lethargic.
For children especially, the physical benefits of outdoor play are plentiful – and not just in terms of essential vitamin D intake and fresh air. Some of these benefits include:
- Maintain a healthy weight and lower BMI by running outdoors.
- Better motor skills, depth perception and spatial insight.
- Improved immune function and the improved ability to prevent disease.
These benefits can support children’s physical health, and, just as importantly, reduce their risk of becoming a statistic in America’s rapidly expanding childhood obesity epidemic. On this, Recent studies have shown this that the more children play outside, the less likely they are to become obese – 42% less to be precise.
Mental and emotional benefits of outdoor play for children
Being outside can improve our mood. For children, fresh air can help cheer them up, teach them to feel connected to nature, and perhaps most importantly, regulate their emotions.
Being outside is grounding. Encourage your kids to go barefoot on the grass, or dig their toes in the sand at the beach. This is also called the practice of ‘grounding’ and brings us back to our original roots. Some of the benefits of earthing or grounding would be:
- Reduction of fatigue levels.
- Reduction of chronic pain.
- Minimizing cardiovascular diseases such as high blood pressure.
- Mood improvements and reduced risk of developing anxiety or depression.
For children, developing the habit of grounding early in life can help them have a lifetime of positive mental and emotional health and a better quality of life.
Social development benefits of outdoor play for children
Finally, playing outside also contributes to children’s social development. How? By encouraging children to play together outside, they learn to share, interact and get along with others. This is crucial for the development of their interpersonal skills and their ability to build close relationships.
Needless to say, socialization is key for a child to enjoy a happy, full life. The importance of socialization in early childhood is well documented. Some of the benefits may include:
- Learning to interact with other children and adults in ways that are appropriate and socially acceptable.
- Learn how to share, collaborate, and collaborate with others to achieve shared goals.
- Develop language, interpersonal and communication skills.
- Developing social awareness, empathy and compassion for others.
But why is this important? These are essential interpersonal skills that every child should develop if parents want them to be able to form and manage social relationships throughout their later lives.
As discussed today, the benefits of outdoor play for children are multifaceted. Playing outside offers many benefits, and not just in terms of a child’s physical health. Although the reduced risk of developing obesity in children is perhaps one of the most important motivators for parents to let their children play outside.
But playing outside can also support a child’s mental and emotional well-being. It can also aid children’s social development and their socialization with others by helping them build relationships, communicate and develop interactive skills.
But perhaps the most important factor? Playing outside makes children happy.
