Experiencing the great outdoors at an early age can prove extremely beneficial, and affect your toddler in a number of ways. The wonders of nature, thrill of active play and enjoyment of socialising with others will all have a positive influence on your child, especially when this takes place within a supportive environment. With play equipment to discover and other energetic youngsters to meet, let Little Acorns Day Nursery take you through some of the most noteworthy benefits of outdoor play within this helpful blog post.
Learning And Exploring
Learning and exploring are likely among your child’s favourite activities, and outdoor play incorporates both of these. Getting outdoors to play within a safe and secure nursery setting can open up all manner of brilliant sensory experience for babies and toddlers, and the changing nature of the outdoors makes it an incredibly stimulating and multi-sensory place to play.
As well as encouraging learning, engaging in outdoor play introduces children to new situations and prompts them to take positive risks, trying new things at their own pace. Fostering independence, children given free reign of a fun new area are able to test their own abilities and learn new skills. This play within an open area with peers allows them to develop stronger self-awareness.
General Health
At Little Acorns Day Nursery, we never force children to play outside, but when the sun comes out and there’s an opportunity for children to try out play equipment in our courtyard space, we always encourage them to take in some fresh air and enjoy themselves. Of course, one of the primary perks of outside play is the effect on physical health and development, including cardiovascular and respiratory benefits.
Climbing frames, toys and games are all options, with running, chasing and jumping sure to improve physical fitness, agility, stamina and stability. Studies have even suggested that children who spend more time outdoors being physically active are at a physical advantage compared to other children who spend more time indoors – aiding physical development.
Social Play
An often ignored element of outdoor play is that of social interaction and building relationships. Outdoor spaces such as the garden play areas of our Eastleigh or Hedge End sites will introduce little ones to new friends, often different from them, but with shared interests. This interactivity can help children to feel more comfortable entering situations where they are required to collaborate with new people, practising skills that will be useful as they grow older and enter school.
At our nursery, we encourage social play by organising activities, games and fun outdoors. Keen to help your child learn about the thoughts and feelings of their peers in a more direct manner, when children under our care make new friends and build bonds,they naturally develop an awareness of others feelings and emotions as they interact in a safe space. This encourages healthy communication.
At Little Acorns Day Nursery, our primary motivation is to guarantee the ongoing wellbeing, happiness and emotional nourishment of every child put into our care, and we achieve this through individual care, learning and play. With plenty of satisfied parents and children who already visit us every week day, we would love to show you around the premises! Contact today for more information.