EDU3ONP: Analyzing the Impact of Outdoor Play on Children and Nature

This literature review explores the impact of outdoor play on children's physical, mental, and moral development, emphasizing its crucial role in early childhood education. It highlights the benefits of outdoor activities, including enhanced creativity, improved health, and the development of essential social skills like sharing and teamwork. The review also addresses concerns about the decreasing opportunities for risky play and the importance of balancing safety with the developmental advantages of allowing children to engage with nature. Furthermore, it underscores the significance of connecting children with nature to foster environmental awareness and responsible citizenship, advocating for increased emphasis on environmental education in early childhood centers. The review concludes that encouraging outdoor play is essential for children's holistic development and their connection with the environment, urging parents and educators to prioritize safe and enriching outdoor experiences.

Running head: The Impact Outdoor Play has on Children and its relationship with nature
0
THE IMPACT OUTDOOR PLAY HAS ON CHILDREN AND ITS RELATIONSHIP WITH NATURE
STUDENT NAME:
11/19/2018

The Impact Outdoor Play has on Children and its relationship with nature
1
INTRODUCTION
This essay aims to discuss what impact outdoor play has on children and the planet.
With advancement in technology with progressing time children have drawn more to
electronic devices to play rather than playing outdoors. This essay also highlights the fact that
Regular physical activity in children is essential for many physical and mental health
advantages (Jago, Griew, & Cooper, 2010). This essay will also tell about how children
playing outside, affects the nature directly or indirectly with respect to science and other
factors.
Information and nourishment is like water that takes shapes in their little minds and
body. As Australian Government Department of Education and workplace relations (2009)
states, learning outcome number three for children from birth to 5 years is to have a strong
sense of wellbeing and that children take better responsibility for their own health and
physical wellbeing. Playing outdoors directly leads to physical exercise keeping their bones
and muscles healthy and strong as only correct nutrition is not enough to ensure overall
physical development of a child .
With the increase in technological development job opportunities have also enhanced
and has brought along with it tremendous amount of workload to the working population of
any nation. This includes parents leading to a stressed and sad atmosphere, which is
unfavourable for a child’s innocent mind and can directly lead to permanent mental damage
for a longer part of the child’s life (Palmer, 2012). Cultural and moral shifts have also lead to
increased number of broken or unhappy marriages impacting the children involved.
Australian Government Institute of family studies (2016) suggests that the number of
divorces involving children under the age of 18 was almost 47% in 2016. Playing outdoors is
an escape from all this chaos and thus it is extremely important to make the child play
outdoors with other children to induce happiness and joy in them. Technological
development and parents busy schedule has made children stick to their mobile phones
making them miss the health benefits of playing outside and it might come with other hazards
(Madianou & Miller, 2011). The rate of obesity is also increasing among children because
they are not given enough opportunities and encouragement to play outdoors (Leyla,
Winterbottom, Mehta, & Roberts, 2010).

The Impact Outdoor Play has on Children and its relationship with nature
2
Children tend to pick habits and manners in this delicate age and tend to learn
everything they see, are taught or they listen to hence it is extremely important to let children
play in the company of other good children. Playing outdoor will teach them moral values
such as sharing, leadership, team work, equality etc. which will not only strengthen their
moral values but will also prepare for future life challenges they might face in school or at
work. Outdoor play is extremely important for the social development of younger children
(Scholastic Parents Staff , 2018).
Some parents and guardians might argue that playing outdoors might disturb a child’s
academics but studies show that playing outdoors games actually leads to better; faster and
more efficient brain functioning, hence does not disturb but might be beneficial for academics
if done in moderation. The decreasing amount of risky play that children are indulging in, has
made researchers, educators and parents concerned about whether children lacking from the
benefits risky outdoor play provides (Little & Wyver, 2008) and how the risks and benefits
can be balanced to ensure maximum learning.
Trapping children indoors will weaken immunity by not challenging it to fight against
germs and get immunised similarly keeping children indoors and not letting them face
challenges and risks in the outside world will not help them attain strength a normal human
being is supposed to have for basic existence. An environment that is too safe can encourage
children to participate in inappropriate and destructive risk-taking as children always look for
excitement (Dowell, Gray & Malone, 2011; Little & Wyver, 2008). Little & Wyver (2008)
conclude that allowing risk-taking does not mean ignoring safety.
Parents also worry about the risks that playing outside might include. Many countries
such as Australia has a Government provided guideline for safety in playing equipment’s’ for
children to ensure minimum risks. The guidelines consists of the structural shape of toys with
exact measurement, materials included in their manufacturing, correct mention of the age
group of children it is suitable for and guidance for parental supervision if required etc. These
make toys extremely safe for children to play with. (Australian Standards for Playgrounds
Safety 2012, 2012). Risks such as kidnapping or violent attacks are something that parents
and guardians are supposed to take care of themselves. Adequate safety and crime guidelines
do exist for ensuring safety of children outside the house but direct supervision is highly
essential as well. This does not come as an excuse to not let children play outside.

The Impact Outdoor Play has on Children and its relationship with nature
3
Playing outdoors connect children directly to nature. From the breath of fresh air to
playing with the soil children find happiness and fulfilment immensely from nature. Children
tend to share a direct connection with nature that enables them to evolve mentally, physically
and also helps enhance their creativity, decreasing their time to play outdoors creates a void
in their overall development (Eriksen , 2013; Gray & Martin, 2012).
Experiments have been conducted and stories have been written about how when
children play around a huge old tree it comes back to life healthy and luscious, which was
earlier dyeing. Scientific evidences to prove this statement also exists and they explain how
the noises of happy playing children the healthy air they breathe and the positive energy they
reflect leads to nourishment of nature. Schools having gardens are most likely to have
students who perform well academically as well as seem to have good health (Dixon &
Williams 2013). Letting children play outside in nature also teaches them to value the life of
every human beings on earth, which includes that of trees and they thus learn to love and
nourish trees making them a responsible citizen in future (Millar 2007).
Connecting children with nature at a young age makes them informed about the
endangered environment in the world and they become more conscious about conservation
and betterment of nature in future. According to Edwards & Cutter-Mackenzie (2011) very
few Early Childhood centres in Australia, and the rest of the world, give environmental
education the importance it must be provided. On the same note Gray & Martin (2012) state
that only learning about the environment and not directly playing in its exposure is not
adequate. Dowell et.al. (2011) cleverly cited “We can now assume that just as children need
good nutrition and adequate sleep, they may very well need contact with nature”.
CONCLUTION
This essay concludes that playing outdoors is essential for a child’s mental, physical
and moral development. Parents and guardians must encourage children to play outside and
take a little risk for enhancing their mental and physical strength but take adequate care of
their safety as well. Playing outside helps children develop good manners such as sharing,
equality, helping etc. It also helps to relieve stress and induce happy chemicals leading to
creation of a shield against any disease. It is also seen that children share a special bond with

The Impact Outdoor Play has on Children and its relationship with nature
4
nature and playing outside in contact with nature helps them enhance creativity and health
and teaches them the importance of environmental conservation.
REFERENCES
Australian Government Department of Education and workplace relations. (2009). The early
years learning framework for Australia; Belonging, being and becoming. Retrieved
from https://www.dss.gov.au/our-responsibilities/families-and-children/publications-
articles/belonging-being-becoming-the-early-years-learning-framework-for-australia
Australian Government Institute of Family studies. (2016). Marriage and divorce rates.
Retrieved from https://aifs.gov.au/facts-and-figures/marriage-and-divorce-rates
Dowdell, K., Gray, T., & Malone, K. (2011). Nature and its Influence on Children's Outdoor
play. Australian Journal of Outdoor Education, 15(2), 24-35. Retrieved from
http://0-search.proquest.com.alpha2.latrobe.edu.au/docview/1010412777?
accountid=12001
Edwards, S. & Cutter-Mackenzie, A. (2011). Environmentalising Early Childhood Education
Curriculum Through Pedagogies of Play. Australasian Journal of Early Childhood,
36(1), 51-59. Retrieved from
http://www.earlychildhoodaustralia.org.au/australian_journal_of_early_childhood/
ajec_index_abstr
acts/environmentalising_early_childhood_education_curriculum_through_pedagogies
_of_play.html
Eriksen, K.G. (2013) Why Education for Sustainable Development Needs Early Childhood
Education. Journal of Teacher Education for Sustainability, 15(1), 107-120. DOI:
10.2478/jtes2013-0007
Gray, T., & Martin, P. (2012). The Role and Place of Outdoor Education in the Australian
National Curriculum. Australian Journal of Outdoor Education, 16(1), 39-50.
Retrieved from
http://0-search.proquest.com.alpha2.latrobe.edu.au/docview/1059822848?
accountid=12001

The Impact Outdoor Play has on Children and its relationship with nature
5
Jago, R., Griew, P., & Cooper, A. R. (2010). Independent mobility, perceptions of the built
environment and children's participation in play, active travel and structured exercise
and sport: the PEACH Project. International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and
Physical Activity, 2-10.
Leyla, M. E., Winterbottom, K. E., Mehta, S. S., & Roberts, J. R. (2010). Using Nature and
Outdoor Activity to Improve Children's Health. Current Problems in Pediatric and
Adolescent Health Care, 40(5), 102-117.
Little, H., & Wyver, S. (2008). Outdoor Play: Does Avoiding the Risks Reduce the Benefits?
Australian Journal of Early Childhood, 33(2), 33-40. Retrieved from
http://www.earlychildhoodaustralia.org.au/australian_journal_of_early_childhood/
ajec_index_abstr
acts/outdoor_play_does_avoiding_the_risks_reduce_the_benefits.html
Madianou, M., & Miller, D. (2011). Mobile phone parenting: Reconfiguring relationships
between Filipina migrant mothers and their left-behind children. New Media and
Society, 13(3).
Millar, D. L. (2007). The Seeds of Learning: Young Children Develop Important Skills
Through Their Gardening Activities at a Midwestern Early Education Program.
Applied Environmental Education & Communication, 6(1), 49-66. DOI:
10.1080/15330150701318828
Palmer, S. (2012). Detoxing Childhood: What Parents Need to Know to Raise Bright
Balanced Children. Great Britain: Orion Books.
Play Australia. (2012). Australian Standards for Playground Safety 2012. Retrieved
from https://www.playaustralia.org.au/content/australian-standards-playground-
safety-2012
SCHOLASTIC PARENTS STAFF. (2018). Why Play Outdoors? Scholastic. Retrieved from
https://www.scholastic.com/parents/kids-activities-and-printables/activities-for-kids/
arts-and-craft-ideas/why-play-outdoors.html
Williams, D. R. & Dixon, P. S. (2013). Impact of Garden-Based Learning on Academic
Outcomes in Schools: Synthesis of Research Between 1990 and 2010. Review of

The Impact Outdoor Play has on Children and its relationship with nature
6
Educational Research, 83(2). Retrieved from
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.3102/0034654313475824