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Developing physical skills is not only good for physical health and fitness, evidence shows that it can also improve mental well-being.
The school day includes plenty of opportunity for learners to develop their physical skills.
There are many benefits of physical activity for all of us such as improving coordination, balance and strength and assisting with the development of fine and gross motor skills.
Taking as much of the learning outdoors will benefit wellbeing, motivation and enjoyment. It is important to encourage learners to find physical activities that they enjoy. This way they will have fun during the physical activity and are more likely to develop a lifelong disposition for physical activity. The type of activities they take part in, and enjoy, will vary from learner to learner.
The outdoor physical activities they participate in will need to be varied with different levels of challenge. Learners will also need to be confident that the activities provided will be achievable to them and that they will be able to see, and possibly measure, their own progress. Physical skill development will happen naturally through any outdoor learning, whether this was the planned objective or not. In time learners will transfer the skills they have learnt into different activities where they are able to show their physical competence.
The outdoor learning environment may be unfamiliar to some learners, and therefore moving on uneven surfaces and obstacles may be a challenge to begin with. Learners will quickly adapt and show increasing levels of confidence. Over time you may observe all four areas of physical skills improving:
Locomotor skills – such as running, hopping and skipping.
Body management skills – such as balancing and core strength.
Manipulative skills – such as rolling, throwing, catching and striking.
Physical fitness – such as strength, stamina and flexibility.
We know that ‘active children' perform better in school and in later life.
We know that children who enjoy physical activity and develop those basic skills early in life are more likely to be active in later life.
All Party Commission on Physical Activity (2014)
There is reliable and robust evidence to suggest that physical activity is beneficial throughout the life course and that even small changes such as an additional 10 minutes of activity can improve health. Benefits accrue at whatever age a person starts being active.
A systematic review found that compared with indoor activities, physical activity in natural environments is associated with greater feelings of revitalization and positive engagement, decreases in tension, confusion, anger and depression, and with increased energy.
Natural England (2016) - Access to Evidence Information Note EIN019 - Links between natural environments and physical activity: evidence briefing
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