Article - Outdoors

The outdoor environment offers endless opportunities to experience and make discoveries in areas such as science, maths and nature. It allows children to run, to climb, to shout, and to otherwise interact on a grander scale than indoors.

There are many skills children will develop through outdoor play.

• Gross motor activity - such as digging, pulling, lifting, climbing, swinging, and hanging.
   
• Locomotor experience - such as crawling, creeping, stair and ladder climbing, walking, running, hopping, jumping, galloping and skipping.
   
• Balance experiences - such as static balance (balance while you stand), dynamic balance (balance while moving), and balance using an object (balancing bean bags on your head).
   
• Body and space perception - involves places to climb in, movement in space, force of motion, body-object relationship. e.g. on, under, behind and so on.
   
• Rebound and airborne activities - such as bouncing and jumping.
   
• Projectile management - such as throwing and catching balls, striking, and bouncing balls.
   
• Fine muscle development - involves using tools, hammering, sand and water tools, planting seedlings and so on.

The outdoor play experience has a lot to offer the child’s development. Creating a stimulating environment with play activities that develop awareness and co-ordination is vital to the child’s learning in play.

Always remember to create a safe environment for the child, free of dangers, sharp objects, and hazards. This way the child will enjoy the experience of learning at play. Supervision of the child at play is paramount for both safety and development.

Enjoying outdoor activities in groups also helps children's social skills.

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