Outdoor Play - Yesterday vs. Today
By: Sarah Wilbanks, Assistant Director of Pre-K and Kindergarten, and Ileana Barbari, Principal of Pre-K and Kindergarten
Think back to when you were a young child. What do you remember doing outdoors that you enjoyed? According to the National Recreation and Park Association, children today spend less time outdoors than any other generation. They devote only four to seven minutes to unstructured outdoor play per day, while spending an average of seven and a half hours in front of electronic media. A survey by Planet Ark (Australian Environmental Organization) found:
73% of parents say they played more outdoors than in
Only 13% of kids say they play more outdoors than in
65% of parents say they explored nature, now only 28% of kids say they do
64% of parents say they climbed trees, now only 19% of kids say they do
66% of parents say they skipped rope, played hopscotch, etc., now only 29% of kids say they do
Previous generations have fond memories of playing outdoors until the streetlights came on – which was our cue to come home for dinner. Today, however, our children live in a very different world. Not only are children not exploring outside for hours on end, but their time outside of school is jam-packed with one activity after another. Today’s children are at risk of developing an aversion to nature simply because they have not been exposed to it enough. We need to be intentional in teaching children how to appreciate and love the outdoors and all that God has wonderfully created in it. There is a definite need to teach environmental education to our children, not only to develop a love for the great outdoors but to help children develop their imaginations, independence and confidence. When children play outside, they explore using all their senses, discover patterns of change over time and become active learners. Schools have the opportunity to make their outdoor spaces into intentional learning environments. Over the next few months, we will continue to delve into outdoor learning, its benefits and how to make it happen.