BENEFITS OF PLAYING OUTDOORS

Yes, at last! The good weather is here. It's time for the little ones to catch up with the the healthy habit of playing outdoors. There are many benefits for children to play outdoors. open spacesIt is essential that they spend at least one hour a day playing in the park or in the countryside. Numerous studies confirm that outdoor play and the contact with nature have an impact on their physical and emotional well-being.

NO EXCUSES

Security, routines, tranquillity, homework, extracurricular activities, etc. can make children's daily time outdoors too little. This is a mistake. Children need outdoor play to thrive, be happy and grow.

PLAY AS LEARNING

Yes, that is the idea. Children relate to the world and to themselves. through play. Play is the way for young children to grow physically, socially and emotionally.

CONTACT WITH NATURE

Lo essential of outdoor play is the contact with nature which allows them to experience their relationship with the outside world with all their senses. This is the origin of all the benefits of gambling outdoors.

First of all, that sense of freedomDo you remember the afternoons after school, playing with their classmates, climbing a huge slide, climbing trees? The sedentary life and the excessive load of scheduled activities of the little ones at home jeopardize this great pleasure to play without limitationsof experience freedom.

The exercise: we are becoming more and more, as a whole, a sedentary society. The childhood obesity has set off alarm bells for paediatricians and parents. Fast food and physical passivity in front of screens are the main culprits.

Creativity: playing outdoors gives children the opportunity to move around and explore. How will they know the world if they don't learn to explore? What a pleasure it is to climb a tree in the park, to run down a mountainside! The freedom that being outdoors gives them is an invitation to open the wings of their creativity.

Autonomy: Do they move a little away from mum and dad, take the lead and walk a few metres ahead of us into the forest on a family walk? That's a good sign. They are learning to to fend for themselves. To decide which path to take.

Social relations: open spaces shared with other children encourage their communication skills. They will invent games, they will interact with other children, they will negotiate rules. If they want to play with others, they will learn to relate to them, to listen, to defend their ideas, in short, they will establish and strengthen social links.

All of the above points converge into one: playing outdoors. increases children's self-esteem. Being able to develop in a natural space through all the skills they learn through play gives them self-confidence. A confidence that helps them to grow up physically, socially and emotionally healthy.

THE DANGERS OF PLAYING OUTDOORS

There are not many of them and they are easy to counteract. A bit of dirt: mud, dirt, bugs, they disappear in the shower! An accidental fall: kiss from mum and Nosa arnica balm.

As the famous saying goes: we should not prepare the way for our children, but prepare our children for the way. Adapt to the weather conditions: if it rains, waterproof boots and mackintosh, don't take away one of the things the kids love most: stepping in puddles! If it's hot, bring water so they don't get dehydrated and give them sun protection.

In the cities there are outdoor spaces controlled, parks and green areas where children can enjoy and parents can also relax. The fact that our children play outdoors is also a learning experience for us. In the park, in the woods, in the countryside, just as in life, unforeseen events arise. Learning to live with them is learning to live.