Summer is the perfect season to let children play outside. While the weather is nice, it’s a perfect chance to encourage your child to show self-efficacy through independent play, develop muscle tone and coordination, and use his or her creativity and imagination. Playing outdoor games can be a brilliant way to enhance learning abilities in kids.
Outdoor play is not only beneficial, but also crucial for the brain’s healthy development. During independent play, with little structure or rules, children solve complex social and emotional problems with little outside assistance. The children are the ones who will need to make the critical decisions for what they feel the rules and limitations should be for their games or activities, which in turn improves children’s negotiating and social skills.
Obesity is a growing concern, so what better way to combat this issue than through fun, healthy outdoor play? Through the simple act of playing, children are running, jumping, climbing, squatting, and rolling. Exerting their bodies is a form of fun, informal exercise. For children with special needs, outdoor play is especially critical in core muscle development, small motor skill refinement, and increasing coordination. Children need to navigate obstacles, maintain appropriate space around other children, and use their strength to throw, catch, manipulate objects or tackle a jungle gym.
Our world is changing, and not for the better. If a child grows up never walking in the woods, digging in soil, seeing animals in their habitat, climbing a mountain, playing in a stream, or staring at the endless horizon of an ocean, they may never really understand what there is to be lost. The future of our planet depends on our children; they need to learn to appreciate it.
When you tell your child to “Go outside and play”, you’re not just getting him or her out of the house and out of your hair. You’re also promoting healthy brain development, as well as a good workout for your child’s body.
Follow the link to my Pinterest board and you can find fun outdoor summer activities for all age children:
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