Does outdoor play really matter?
Q: My kids would much rather be on screens than outside. Does outdoor play really matter?
Dr Wright answers:
Ask almost any Aussie grandparent to retell stories about their childhood, and you are sure to hear tales involving outdoor play. That’s not surprising because, according to the findings of several recent studies, kids in the past couple of generations spent at least four times more time playing outdoors than the children of today.
This leads us to the inevitable question: what will the kids of today have to say about growing up, when they are older?
Likely, it will be less about rushing home from school, downing a cold glass of milk and bananas, and leaping into what they remember as being the best part of the day: outside play!
So, if today’s kids, having spent far less time playing outdoors, won’t be talking about learning to play cricket in the street with the neighbourhood kids, like Bradman, or climbing trees, or riding bikes, or sorting out neighbourhood squabbles — what will they remember?
Will they have stories about being diagnosed as having ADHD? Will they recall endless hours playing war games in their virtual world? Will they affectionately recall munching on choc-flavoured vitamin D supplements to replace the lack of sunshine which once helped to build strong bodies and cheery moods? Will they reminisce about their game-laden phone and the relief from boredom it provided them in the café while their parents chatted?
Perhaps information about the benefits of outdoor play will help today’s parents provide a balanced environment for their children. The stakes are high.
Studies in Australia, the United States, Sweden and the United Kingdom show a strong correlation between the time children spend playing outdoors and diagnoses of mental health disorders. In my work on the ‘medicalisation’ of children’s behaviour — the subject of my book, The Medicalization Trap — I find that children are being unnecessarily labelled with ‘conditions’ and ‘disorders’, and that parenting stress is a key factor in why children’s learning and behaviour attract medical, rather than practical, solutions.
Children’s learning and behaviour involves a complex interplay between physical, cognitive and relational development. That said, numerous studies show that reduced physical activity affects many aspects of children’s wellbeing. While physical outdoor play is by no means a panacea for all parenting dilemmas, insufficient gross motor exercise impedes sensory and muscular coordination, reduces the quality of sleep and impedes concentration. Add to this poor-quality nutrition, childhood stress, a lack of routine and insufficient social play with other children, particularly outdoors, and we have a recipe for learning and behavioural problems.
My message is simple: consider outdoor play as having important benefits for your child.
There are, admittedly, several barriers for parents to overcome in today’s modern world. Many parents find that daily demands at home and at work leave insufficient time to organise and supervise outdoor play. Besides this, parents quite rightly worry about safety, from a physical and a moral standpoint. Younger children need close supervision, and there is always the possibility of a dangerous person preying on children. Yet the task of supervising our children is the same, whether it be indoors or outdoors — indoors, our children may be subjected to cyber-stalking, and there are potential hazards within any home.
So start small: a regular hour outdoors after school, a weekend walk, a garden project, a ball and a patch of grass. Your child’s body, sleep, concentration and mood will thank you.
Dr Gloria S Wright is an internationally recognised educator, child expert and speaker. She directly supports parents by bridging the gap between home, school and clinical reports or diagnoses. Her emphasis on education, rather than ‘medicalisation’, provides alternative ways of understanding and managing children’s learning and behaviour. For techniques and strategies for your specific situation, connect with Dr Wright.
