By Lisa Philips MSW, LMSW, November 2018

It’s November in New Orleans…finally fall, when temperatures (usually) drop into more comfortable temperatures and the worries of hurricanes begin to recede. While we may lack the changes in foliage that mark this season in other parts of the country, we can finally enjoy more time outside with our children (without worrying as much about overheating).

Encouraging Outdoor Play

There are lots of good reasons to encourage outdoor play for our families year-round. First, and maybe most important, is the sheer enjoyment and family bonding that comes with going for long walks, bike rides and picnicking on the grass under the oak trees. With all of the parks and nature centers in our area, there are a lot of programs to participate in and spaces to explore. And there are many documented, tangible benefits for our children that can shape their growing bodies and minds.

Time outside in sunlight, for example, can increase Vitamin D levels and reduce the risk of nearsightedness, which has been on the rise in children in recent years, possibly due to increased time spent indoors. Of course, it’s also good to get moving. Access to parks helps increase children’s physical activity levels, which in turn helps decrease the risk of obesity.

More Than Just Physical

Benefits aren’t limited to just physical ones, though.  Recent research indicates spending time in natural environments can have a positive effect on a child’s ability to focus their attention, promote motivation to learn, improve relationship skills and reduce stress and aggression. Nature stimulates the senses and improves mood, as well as encourages movement and imagination since there is lots of available space and opportunity to explore on one’s own or create cooperative games with playmates.

In recent years, some pediatricians have been “prescribing” time outside in nature as a way of raising awareness with parents to its direct benefits.  As academic demands have ratcheted up in recent years and screen time levels increased, time spent out-of-doors has diminished at home and at school; 30% of U.S. kindergarten children no longer have recess.

A national survey of almost 9,000 children and parents found that only 51% of children went outside to walk or play once per day with either parent. Certainly, factors such as perceived safety, lack of time, and easy access are issues for some families that may make it difficult to fit outside activity into the daily routine. But brief, easily planned and executed activities can provide the benefits of nature-play.

The Children and Nature Network offers these ideas and many more on its website:

  • Follow a child’s lead and pace (which is often much slower than an adult’s!). Toddlers will be fascinated by collecting “treasures” such as sticks, leaves, acorns or pebbles. Talk about the appearance and textures of their finds, and help them be on the lookout for more. Your curiosity and enthusiasm will reinforce their own (or maybe it’s the other way around?).
  • Physical challenges such as walking on a log, stomping in a puddle, dropping pebbles and sticks into a stream, stepping over some mud, running into the wind, digging in the sand, or climbing onto a low branch are great ways to enjoy the freedom of the outdoors and get the kind of physical activity that helps young children feel relaxed and calm.
  • Create a Family Nature Club: Invite some other friends with young children on a regular basis to join you on these excursions for informal group fun.
  • In your own backyard (or on your porch): Plant some seeds in a pot with your child and talk about what will grow. Let them water the seedling and watch over a period of time as the plant grows and changes. Build a “fairy house” with sticks, leaves and whatever you find on your walks.
  • Volunteer as a family outside with organizations that plant trees, pick up trash or cultivate a community garden.
  • Visit the library together to find books about animals, insects, and the natural world.

There are so many good reasons to take advantage of this time of year and get outside with your child. You don’t have to go far to have regular adventures and experiences that create a lifetime love of the outdoors and enjoy its many benefits.

 

Looking for more outdoor fun? Check out the ‘Best Parks & Playgrounds‘ in the New Orleans Area!