With the increased use of video games and mobile phones keeps our children indoors. As a result, we are leaving a negative impact on children in their mental development and overall health due to lack of outdoor play. Below are the top 10 reasons to get kids outdoors.
Reasons: Why it is better for kids to play outdoors?
1. It Builds Some Level of Confidence in Kids.
Whichever activity your child gets into, from pitching a simple tent or navigating through a trail map, these outdoor activities can build confidence in them. Other than confidence, they will gain a useful skill. As your child takes these small risks when they are out playing either swinging from a log or just scrambling a few rocks for their play, their physical abilities grow, their self-confidence gets boosted, one that cannot be taught in the house and for sure will serve them well in the coming years.
2. It Promotes Better Sleep.
Nature has been found to bring the snooze on with no struggles; nature provides you with that extra mental health benefit. This is why individuals are advised to take a short walk outside when stressed out, to clear their mind. So why not offer the same benefit to your kids as this will lower their stress levels of been cooped up in the house.
3. They Get in More Exercise.
It has been found that the color green makes it easier for you to exercise. Thus, grass and plants just immediately send some signals for your kids to run around and play, roll in the grass and take in the fresh air. You have seen kids run around endlessly in the park, yap it is the color green in the grass causing all this.
Related: 3 Stress-Free Activities for a Healthy Body
4. It Creates Some Level of Independence.
When they are out to play, they are away from the direct supervision of an adult. Therefore, your child can learn some independence while interacting with their age mates. And at times they find creative ways to entertain themselves with rocks and sticks.
5. They Can Explore
Did you know that the outdoor equipment offers your child less risk than indoor toys? Additionally, outdoor play & toys will help your child push their boundaries; thus, they can adopt excellent risk assessment skills. And exploring a new game or two goes a long way with their brain development.
6. Makes Your Child Happier
Playing outdoors creates happier children; a little freedom offered outdoors reduces stress levels in your child. You might be wondering how does my child get stressed out? The research found the current hurried lifestyle we have incorporated can be a source of anxiety and stress in children, which in turn might contribute to depression in children. But with a little outdoor freedom helps them release this stress healthily.
Related: 20 Things To Do This Summer Vacation
7. Improves their Social Skills
Outdoors tend to be less crowded than indoor playing facilities; therefore, this open space makes it less intimidating for children to interact. What this means when outdoors children can quickly join others in play and talk more with different kids in the playground.
8. Makes them More Creative
If you are looking for better ways to improve the creativity level in your child, then the outdoor play is the place to start. When they are outdoor, they are not constrained on how to behave or react; thus, their imagination is immediately stimulated.
9. It Will Boost their Academic Performance.
Outdoor play creates a sense of curiosity, your child will start to wonder how things work and why they work the way it does. And this improves on the concentration levels and tend to perform better in class because you have triggered that curiosity thought; therefore, they want to know more.
Related: How to Improve Students Academic Performance
10. Keeps them Healthy
There is nothing more we would want for our children than good health, and playing outside has proved to offer several health benefits. Playing outside keeps them active, meaning they exercise more, nature calms their senses, thus reducing stress levels in children and helps them sleep better at night—all the essentials to keep your child healthy.
