Children who play outdoors get a chance to play in an environment that is dynamic enabling them to explore and use their creativity. Whether it is constructing forts out of chairs, climbing trees or moving through the obstacles in the playground they are designing and solving problems.
Play allows children to organise children’s activity in such a way that they can try out solutions, modify it and gain from mistakes made outside the classroom. These activities help to develop the mechanism of working in a new way and learning the concepts of thinking out of the box.
There are always many things that a child can play with in an outside environment and this greatly encourages their imaginative play. The environment in which a child grows up exposes him or her to numerous visual, audial, and tactile experiences that trigger imagination.
When learning in natural environments, unlike in structured indoor environments, the child is able to come up with his or her own environments, narratives, and scenarios, which helps in expanding on creativity and cognitive abilities, including play acting.
Nature provides the much-needed reprieve in eradicating cognitive exhaustion, a condition that affects children diagnosed with ADHD, the natural settings create a kind of mild fascination, which provides a perfect chance for the brain to recharge.
Outdoor play is therefore beneficial to children because it enhances their attention skills, hence possessing the ability to focus when they are in school or other activities that need concentration.
Outdoor play is basically social as most of the children engage in the activities alongside others. Be it the tag game with peers or children trying to scale a jungle gym, they assess how they can share and work with other kids. Such experiences are essential in building the aspects of emotional intelligence.
Through play with peers in an outdoor environment children encounter various regulatory social roles, develop a sense of belonging and practice solution-focused interpersonal relationship skills. They facilitate a higher level of self regulation and social perspective taking and in general is conducive to enhanced cognitive performance and psychosocial health.
Mr Srikant Goenka, Chairman, IAAPI