GPP: Outdoor Play

Written By wpadmin

Outdoor Play Can Be Fun For Parents and Children

Babies, infants and toddlers benefit from playing outdoors. It is perfect for exercising their bodies and stimulating their brains. Studies show the more time spent outside in natural surroundings, the more children’s senses are awakened.  However, we understand it can be intimidating to take babies, infants, and toddlers outside for playtime. With the right weather, clothing and activity plans you can have your child loving the great outdoors!

You and your child care provider play a vital role in strengthening your child’s bond with the outdoors. Your child care provider should understand and value outdoor play as a quality indicator for your child’s growth. Ask your provider how much time they are spending outside each day.  At least one hour of outdoor play is recommended for children daily. And, additional outdoor time with family is always a plus. Even a short stroll outside in your neighborhood or nearby park offers great Vitamin D exposure and bonding time for both of you. See below for more benefits of outdoor play and age-appropriate outdoor activity ideas.

Benefits of Outdoor Play:

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    • Strengthens immune systems
    • Promotes physical activity
    • Develops motor skills
    • Decreases chances of depression and attention disorders
    • Positively affects sleeping patterns
    • Increase children’s creativity and imagination

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Don’t forget the camera so that you can take lots of pictures of your child as she explores the world around her!

BIRTH TO 1

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  • Infants love bigger kids! Visit a playground and let your baby watch the older children play. You can join in on the fun too by taking her on the slide or the swing and holding her snugly in your lap!
  • Take your child on a nature walk, pointing out different trees, birds, clouds and signs as you go.
  • When the weather is good, spread out a blanket on the grass and have some tummy time. Place a few baby toys in reach for discovery.
  • Use a cardboard box to make a sensory box for your baby. Include toys and safe household items with different textures, sizes and noises.
  • Place your baby in the stroller or carrier and blow some bubbles. Bubbles are great for developing your baby’s motor and sensory skills.

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AGE 1 TO 2

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  • Create a nature hunt! Show your child pictures of leaves, bugs, rocks and more. Then search and find!
  • Who doesn’t love bubbles? Take turns blowing bubbles and see how many your child can catch.
  • Grab her walker and head outside. Be sure that the path is even and solid to prevent falls.
  • Collect rocks and paint a few. Then make up stories using them as visual aids.
  • Build a tower out of cups. Then have fun knocking it down. Encourage them to crawl, run or walk through it. They can even try rolling or throwing a ball at the tower.

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AGE 2 TO 3

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  • Grab a flashlight and sit on the back porch with your little one to discover the sights of the night.
  • Take water table play outside! You can make your own water tub with a plastic tub or Tupperware bin. Fill with an inch of water and a few containers for water play. Using it outside makes spills an even easier cleanup!
  • Can you make music outside? Take out some tin cans of various sizes, find some sticks and create a drum corp!
  • Ring around the rosy, hide and go seek, and tag are great outdoor games for this age!
  • Play a game of toss using balls, hoops or even soft stuffed animals.

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AGE 3 TO 4

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  • Head to the park and enjoy the swing set.
  • Outdoor play is great for sensory play! Spend time in the sand – at the park, the beach, or make your own sandbox – to feel the sand’s texture and work those fingers.
  • Have you noticed how much your child loves to race? Go outside with a timer, and see how long it takes him to run a 10 or 50 yard dash, skips from one mailbox to another, or walk backwards down the sidewalk.
  • Head outside and have fun with your shadows. Take some chalk with you and have your child outline your shadow.
  • Use sidewalk chalk to make games of hopscotch or practice writing letters.

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AGE 4 TO 5

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  • Make your own transportable sandbox with a plastic bin. Fill with an inch of sand and a few containers for playtime.
  • Play statue outside and have your child do some of the yoga poses they might have learned earlier in the month from our “Maximize Playtime” post.
  • Grab a magnifying glass and explore nature together. Encourage your child to draw or journal about the items he finds during this time.
  • Play catch in the backyard or at the park.
  • Create an obstacle course for your child using household objects: sand buckets can be used for balancing on one leg or jumping over, hula hoops are good for jumping in. Use a jump rope to create a straight line they must walk on. Use your imagination together to make it as easy or hard as you want!

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Resources:

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wpadmin
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GPP: Maximizing Playtime