An Adult’s Eye-view on Outdoor Play
18th August, 2010 - Posted by - 2 Comments
This weekend I had a chance to spend time with some of my younger nephews and truly appreciate how outdoor play not only affects them, but also the positive impact it provides to those around them. The speed at which their bodies and minds move is truly phenomenal and really made me think about the impact that outdoor play can have.
After interacting and observing my nephews for a couple of hours, a few things really struck me:
- Outdoor play provides a sense of relief for children. We all have that one thing that lets us get away, and for children its being free of rules and responsibilities and just playing.
- Outdoor play provides a mixture of cooperation and competition that develops a child’s imagination, creativity and an increase in self-esteem.
- The love of being outside is contagious. When I saw my nephews just loving life while being outside, I wanted to take part in that as well. Watching them outside really opened my eyes to the many positive effects that nature and outdoor play can have.
- Fun and play is like the front porch to a house of learning. If fun and play are allowed to open the door to learning, then children will be inspired to explore the rest of the house!
Next time you are outside try simply watching the children around you. Then, follow their lead and let yourself PLAY.
For more on the benefits of outdoor play, download this HSBS Fact Sheet.
Blogger Bio: Tanner Nelson is the Head Start Body Start summer intern. He is going to be a senior at the University of Maryland in the fall and is expected to graduate in May of 2011. He is a kinesiology major and is going to pursue a career in physical education, athletic training, or child development. For fun he enjoys playing golf and basketball.
photo credit: biofriendly
Tags: childhood, children, ECE, head start, motor skill development, outdoors, Parent, Physical Activity, Play, self-esteem
Posted on: August 18, 2010
Filed under: Parent, Physical Activity, Play
2 Comments
Tweets that mention An Adult’s Eye-view on Outdoor Play | The BODY SMART Blog -- Topsy.com
August 18th, 2010 at 4:56 pm
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Bethe Almeras, Caro Webster, Early Childhood, Debi Huang, Landscape Structures and others. Landscape Structures said: What's one thing that lets you escape? For children its just playing. #playoutdoors http://ow.ly/2rijS [...]
Dr. Kwame M. Brown
August 24th, 2010 at 12:34 pm
Awesome post Tanner! So astute in your observation of a child’s play, and I am so glad you are thinking in this vein as a budding professional. I hope that you continue to be involved in the promotion and in the understanding of play for the rest of your life.
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