Outdoor Environment for Children: Benefits, Risks, and Approaches

Running Head: OUTDOOR ENVIRONMENT FOR CHILDREN
Outdoor environment for children
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OUTDOOR ENVIRONMENT FOR CHILDREN 2
Outdoor environment for children
Introduction
Learning and playing outside via direct interaction with life situations and natural
materials is a congenital need for toddlers and children. Over time, a progressive number of
professionals coming from various disciplines have given justification for the multidimensional
significance of outdoor environment for children ranging from physical, spiritual, social,
emotional and intellectual benefits in the outdoor environment and particularly in the natural.
Fortunately, when I was a little child, my parents usually left me to play and interact with the
outdoor environment which became my daily routine. Even though I cannot vividly and clearly
recollect any playgrounds near our admirable neighborhood, our family had a nice garden that
was the destination of all my day to day adventures. Running in the rain and hide and seek with
my friends were some of my favorite games and activities. The texture, sounds, sights, tastes and
even smiles within the outdoor environment in any weather usually composes an attractive three-
dimensional environment for the children to explore. Nevertheless, the world is transforming
rapidly. No matter in Russia or in the United Kingdom, in suburban or urban communities
(Shanmugam & Kumar, 2016)., it is more difficult toddlers and young children in outdoor
environment like streets, playgrounds, sidewalks that makes me very upset. The significance of
experiences for toddlers and young children in the outdoor surrounding has been acknowledged
since the eighteenth century, however, in current society there is little focus on these
opportunities as more activities occur and planned for inside.
Numerous information currently available concerning the physical environment is about
indoor environment. This paper will critically discuss present ideas, approaches and beliefs to
offering challenging and authentic outdoor environment for children. Moreover, the pare will

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discuss the current risk to achieving physical development outcomes for children. Lastly, the
paper will justify the value or otherwise the risk of taking when promoting physical skills, health
and wellbeing for children.
Background information
As a caregiver, it is significant that you offer the infants, young children and toddlers in
your care with opportunities and chances for safe as well as age-appropriation outdoor play
(Kamik, 2018). Nevertheless, determining what features to consider when creating an outdoor
play setting for toddlers and infants is not usually easy. There is a great deal of created empirical
research on outdoor environment. Numerous child psychologists and sociologists believe that
outdoor environment can serve as a type of therapy for children, enabling those who suffer from
high-level stress to recover. For the impoverished and poor children, high-level stress is usually
part of their daily lives. Problems like learning disabilities, safety, family conflicts, hunger, and
transportation act as constant reminders of the inequalities and dangers of daily life. Present
planning and design have revealed that the environment used for playing by the toddlers and
infants is significant (Stone & Faulkner, 2014). Play in particular environment has various motor,
social, and cognitive impacts on children. it should be noted that the immediate setting in which
toddlers and infants interact with each other which matters in play, as well as the immediate
setting itself that has an effect. For instance, many people have failed to realize the importance of
outdoor environment for children’s development (Marchant et al., 2019).
Outdoor environment or education is a term that has been in application for much longer
than two decades. It refers to the integration of theoretical knowledge with practice in the
outdoor environment and nature. Early years environment is most impactful in enhancing
quality of learning, interacting and playing where nurses ensure that all members of the setting

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community are committed to establishing knowledge as well as skills to aid toddlers and infants
progress in their development and growth (Shaker & Macdonald, 2019). During their early years,
children acquire basic concepts via active engagement and involvement with their environment
especially outdoor environment (Fisher-Maltese, Fisher & Ray, 2018). Places other than indoor
environment are actively based, stimulating and integrative learning settings which offer toddlers
and infants with emotional chances and experiences for working freely. While the environments
can be small, they allow infants and toddlers to notice things and objects belonging to nature and
environment more efficiently, restructure their emotions, attempt various styles for playing, gain
information and experience at their own speed and provide learning opportunities distinct from
those in the indoor environment. Moreover, outdoor environments help children and toddlers to
develop skills linked to the process of scientific research such as making inferences, observing
and measuring (Mölenberg, Noordzij, Burdorf & van Lenthe, 2019).
Furthermore, objects which are encountered in the outdoor environment for the first time
activate learning new terms and words. It has been established that spending time by children in
the environment increases the physical activity, reducing immobility as well as preventing
excessive weight gain. Thus, it is significant and necessary that toddlers and children be in
contact with the outdoor environment and nature like plants, soil and animals and that outdoor
environments should be integrated into the healthcare system and education. It has been revealed
that activities which are undertaken in the outdoor environment by toddlers and infants improve
physical-motor, social-emotional and cognitive skills, imagination and concentration (White,
Eberstein & Scott, 2018).
Outdoor environments are vital in that they offer toddlers and children with opportunities
to get their environment and themselves via their senses. They enhance infant’s skills for