Experts in child development stress that outdoor play is more than just an opportunity for children to run and let off steam. Active outdoor play is important for the health of children, and there is growing concern that young children are spending too little time outdoors and active, with long-term consequences for their health.
Outdoor play is also integral to overall child development. The process of testing their skills, socializing with other children, and playing creatively is important to children's emotional well-being.For children with developmental challenges, either physical or social, experts have observed that creative play structures help these children integrate with other children during outdoor play.
Benefits for children:- Exposure to natural environments improves children's cognitive development by improving their awareness, reasoning and observational skills.
- Natural environments stimulate social interaction between children.
- Play in outdoor environments stimulates all aspects of children development more readily than indoor environments.
- Outdoor environments are important to children's development of independence and autonomy.
