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Nowadays, children (and adults) spend more time inside, often on the screen, which is not good. Playing outdoors has many benefits, but playing indoors is lacking. Read more about what the study from the Harvard University says about the benefits of outdoor play.
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How do we promote outdoor play?
1. Sun
Children (as well as all people) need sun exposure to make Vitamin D. Vitamin D is essential for the immune system and bone development, so our bodies work better if we get sun every day!
Remember, sun lotion, hat, and sunglasses are needed to play in the sun safely!
2. Exercise
Different countries seem to have their own guidelines about how much time children should exercise daily, but the golden rule is that all children need some active exercise daily!
According to the Harvard University, children should move 60 minutes actively per day.
According to a Finnish UKK-institute, the timelines are higher. Children under 8 years should move around 3 hours a day. One hour should consist of active physical play and exercise (eg. jumping on the trampoline, running, swimming). Children should also get two hours of light exercise on top of that (eg. walking in the forest, swinging, cycling).
3. Executive function & Self-regulation
According to Harvard University, executive function and self-regulation skills are important mental processes that enable us to plan, focus, remember instructions, and juggle multiple tasks. These skills are crucial for learning and development and enable positive behavior.
Children are not born with these skills but with the potential to develop them. To develop these skills, it is important to encourage creative play, involve vigorous exercise, and, over time, provide opportunities for children to direct their own actions with decreasing adult supervision. Free outdoor play promotes all of this.
4. Taking risks
The outdoor world may be bumpier, sharper, tingling, and more 'dangerous' than indoor play areas, but taking risks is also part of childhood and part of overall learning.
"The lessons we learn from failure are just as important as those we learn from success."
Claire McCarthy, MD, Senior Faculty Editor, Harvard Health Publishing
5. Appreciation of nature
The world is changing, and not for the better. Climate change and global warming have severe impacts on the nature around us. Some people are more vulnerable to climate impacts, and they may experience difficulties with growing food, housing, and health. That is why we should teach all children to care about the environment from an early age.
"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."
Claire McCarthy, MD, Senior Faculty Editor, Harvard Health Publishing
Let children put their hands in sand and mud, walk barefoot, smell flowers and plants, and roll in the grass! When children experience nature from close, they learn more about nature, plants, animals, and weather.
Recycling also promotes learning and appreciation of nature.
Happy playtime outdoors!
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