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Spring is right around the corner! The first day of spring is March 20, and we can’t wait to spend more time outside. We also can’t wait for kids to spend more time outside. As much as kids love playing in the snow, warm weather means extended outdoor playtime. At Wollaston Child Care Center, we know that outdoor play is an essential part of early childhood development, and our programs reflect that.
Here are a few benefits of outdoor play for early childhood development.
Strength and Coordination
Outdoor play is active: running, jumping, throwing, climbing. The best way for kids to exercise is to get outside and move around. The way kids move when they are outside is different from how they move inside. They are challenged to use their muscles and bones in ways they don’t try inside. This movement helps kids develop advanced motor skills, endurance, strength, and coordination.
Better Mental Health
We usually—and quite correctly—associate the benefits of outdoor play in early childhood with physical health, but it improves mental health, too. Kids tend to relax when they are outside because they are focused on their external environment rather than their internal feelings of fear and worry.
Outdoor play also encourages children to take risks. Although the idea of their kids taking risks can make parents anxious, it is important for them to build confidence. As they get older, kids will encounter many situations where they might get hurt—and not just physically—but that doesn’t mean they shouldn’t try.
Exploration and Creativity
Leaving kids more or less to their own devices allows them to explore their surroundings and invent their own games. Coming up with ways to entertain themselves is a form of problem-solving, which helps kids improve their executive function. Playing together during unstructured outdoor time helps kids learn to plan, troubleshoot, and multitask. When children work together to invent games, they improve their social and communication skills.
Early childhood education at Wollaston Child Care Center
When you entrust your child to a childcare provider, you want to know they will encourage every aspect of your child’s development. As we welcome spring and the days get warmer, getting outside is a key part of our programs. From toddlers to Pre-K, our programs focus on every age and developmental level in early childhood.