Celebrate National Play Outside Day: Outdoor Fun for Early Childhood Educators

What is National Play Outside Day?

Every first Saturday of the month marks National Play Outside Day, a perfect opportunity for early childhood educators to connect with nature and emphasize the importance of outdoor play for young children. This day provides a valuable reminder to prioritize outdoor activities in your early learning settings. Whether you’re working with infants, toddlers, or preschoolers, playing outside offers countless developmental benefits and is a wonderful way to include children of all abilities in shared experiences with their friends.

Why Outdoor Play is Crucial for Child Development

Outdoor play is more than just fun; it’s essential for children’s growth and learning. Exposure to fresh air, natural light, and open spaces encourages children to explore, take risks, and develop independence. The outdoor environment is unique and offers different experiences than an indoor classroom, so children engage with their surroundings in new ways. Here are a few key benefits to outdoor play:
  • Physical Development: Outdoor activities help children build gross motor skills, improve coordination, and promote overall physical health through movement like running, jumping, climbing, and balancing. These movements strengthen muscles, improve balance, and help children gain confidence in their bodies.
  • Social-Emotional Development: Nature-based play encourages collaboration, sharing, and problem-solving, fostering social skills and emotional resilience. Outdoor play settings often create opportunities for children to engage in cooperative games, build friendships, and practice conflict resolution in a low-pressure environment.
  • Cognitive Growth: Outdoor exploration sparks curiosity, creativity, and critical thinking as children engage with the natural world. Whether they are investigating insects, building forts, or watching the wind move through the trees, outdoor experiences provide natural science, math, and problem-solving lessons.
  • Sensory Development: From feeling the grass to hearing birds chirp, outdoor play supports sensory integration and regulation. Nature provides a rich variety of sensory experiences that cannot be replicated indoors, helping children develop a sense of body awareness and spatial understanding. Check out our on-demand course, Beyond the Sensory Table: Classroom Strategies for Sensory Play to learn more about sensory strategies for infants, toddlers, and preschoolers,
  • Mental Well-Being: Fresh air and unstructured play reduce stress and boost mood, which benefits both children and educators. Time spent outside has been shown to improve focus, reduce anxiety, and contribute to overall emotional well-being, making outdoor play an essential component of a healthy daily routine.
By including all children in outdoor activities, you create an environment that fosters joy, calm, and belonging. For more information about the benefits of outdoor play, visit the Harvard Health Blog.

Outdoor Activities for Infants, Toddlers, and Preschoolers

Outdoor play should be tailored to the developmental levels of young children so that activities are engaging, safe, and inclusive. Here are some fun and developmentally appropriate outdoor activities for different age groups.

Activities for Infants

Infants may not be running around just yet, but they still benefit from outdoor experiences. Outdoor activities can stimulate their senses, encourage movement, and provide a change of scenery from indoor spaces.
  • Tummy Time on a Blanket: Spread a soft blanket on the grass and let infants enjoy tummy time while exploring different textures and natural light. This helps strengthen neck and core muscles while offering a sensory-rich environment.
  • Bubble Watching: Blow bubbles and watch infants track them with their eyes. This simple activity supports visual tracking skills, encourages reaching, and promotes early hand-eye coordination.
  • Nature Walk: Take infants for a stroll and narrate what you see. Describe the trees, birds, and other natural elements to build their vocabulary and sensory awareness. The sights and sounds of nature provide soothing stimulation.

Activities for Toddlers

Toddlers are eager explorers, always ready to engage with their environment. Outdoor activities for this age group should support mobility, coordination, and emerging social skills.
  • Chalk Art on Pavement: Provide chunky sidewalk chalk and let toddlers scribble or draw. Offering adaptive tools like easy-grip chalk holders make this activity inclusive for children with fine motor challenges.
  • Treasure Hunt: Set up a simple scavenger hunt for items like leaves, small sticks, flowers, or pinecones.
  • Toddler Obstacle Course: Create an obstacle course with items to step over, crawl under, or walk around. Use materials you might already have on hand, such as cones, hoops, and stepping stones.

Activities for Preschoolers

Preschoolers thrive on imaginative and hands-on experiences. Outdoor activities should challenge their physical abilities, enhance social interaction, and encourage creative problem-solving.
  • Mud Kitchen: Create a space with pots, pans, spoons, and natural elements like dirt and water where children can pretend to cook. This activity enhances sensory experiences, social play, and creativity.
  • Nature Art: Collect leaves, twigs, and pebbles to create nature-based art. Children of all abilities can participate using materials at their skill level.
  • Sensory Gardens: Plant a garden with herbs like mint or lavender that children can smell and touch. Raised beds or container gardens ensure accessibility for all, and sensory gardens provide a calming, engaging space for self-regulation.
  • Preschool Obstacle Course: Set up an obstacle course with stepping stones, tunnels to crawl through, and balls to toss. Offering balance beams of different heights gives children the chance to take age-appropriate risks, be brave, and build their confidence. Provide different challenge levels so all children can engage safely and successfully.

Making Outdoor Play Inclusive for All Children

To ensure children of all abilities can fully participate in outdoor play, early childhood educators can use simple strategies that remove barriers and make play accessible to every child. Here are some ways to create an inclusive outdoor play environment:
  • Provide Adaptive Spaces: Offer wide pathways and accessible play structures for children with mobility challenges.
  • Offer Multiple Ways to Engage: Ensure activities can be experienced through different senses, such as touch, sound, and movement, to include children with diverse needs.
  • Adjust for Sensory Sensitivities: Some children may be overwhelmed by certain outdoor stimuli. Providing quiet spaces, shaded areas, and noise-reducing headphones can make outdoor play more comfortable.
  • Encourage Peer Support: Encourage children to work together in mixed-ability groups, promoting teamwork, understanding, and an inclusive classroom culture where children help and support each other, reinforcing a sense of belonging for everyone.

How to Involve Families in Outdoor Play

Building a strong school-to-home connection around outdoor play benefits everyone. Engage families by sending home a list of simple outdoor activities families can do together, like nature walks or scavenger hunts. When teachers and schools share resources that explain the developmental benefits of outdoor play, it encourages parents to prioritize it at home. Check out this article from the American Academy of Pediatrics for more ideas to share with families.

Final Thoughts...

National Play Outside Day is a wonderful reminder of how essential outdoor play is for young children. As early childhood educators, you have the power to create inclusive and engaging outdoor experiences that support all areas of development. So grab your hats, bundle up if it’s chilly, and get outside to play!

- The IMPACT Team

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