You have always read or been told that physical activity is good for your children’s overall development because it helps develop gross motor skills and coordination, healthy bones, muscles, strength and balance.

However, when physical activity is done outside, under daylight and amidst nature, it produces even better results.

For one, natural light from the sun boosts mood and concentration, prevents near-sightedness[1] or myopia in children, and boosts Vitamin D production which increases bone, teeth and muscle health[2]. It also promotes mental planning abilities, strengthens the immune system, and resets circadian rhythm disorders[3] to help children keep to their designated bedtimes.

*The safest times for children to play under the Malaysian sun is in the mornings and evenings before 10am and after 4pm although, according to several sites[4] and our Ministry of Health[5], the best times for absorbing sufficient sunlight for the body to make Vitamin D is between 10am and 2pm for 5 to 30 minutes twice a week.

Now combine all the benefits of exercise and sunlight with playing, walking and learning outdoors and you will see your child reaping some very surprising benefits.

1: Children experience Freedom, Fresh Air and Overall Fitness

There is a huge difference between running around outdoors in open space and running around indoors where walls and doors inhibit movement. When children play outdoors, they experience a sense of freedom and space[6] which not only opens the mind but also encourages expansive movements that give the limbs, muscles, heart and lungs a better workout than they would indoors.

When they run and chase, jump, climb and swing from their arms, they push their heart and lungs[7] to work harder to supply the additional oxygen that their muscles demand. This strengthens the heart and lungs and makes the body more efficient at getting oxygen into the bloodstream and transporting it to all the organs, especially to the working muscles. While getting better oxygen supply, they also develop agility, stamina, balance, coordination and stability.

Playing outdoors allows children to shout as loud as they want too. They can “let go steam” as the saying goes and burn off latent energy which leads to better behaviour afterwards. All in all, they get a great physical workout that keeps their whole body fit and toned inside and out.

2: Provides Children Experiential Play and learning through using their Five Senses

Have you noticed how the air outside smells so different from the air inside of the home? This is what children gain from playing outside − not just taking in a different smell but experiencing all the different sights, smells, sounds, textures and even tastes of the natural world.

When a child is playing outside, the elements stimulate multiple sensory learning[8] all at once. They hear the sounds of traffic or maybe insect cries or bird songs, they smell flowers, leaves and grass particularly after the rain, they see animals and people going by, they feel the warmth of the sun or the brush of the breeze on their skin, they touch the softness of flower petals and different textures of tree barks and leaves. If mum grows vegetables or herbs or fruits in her garden, they may even get to taste nature when the vegetables, herbs or fruits are picked.

Children from birth thrive best when learning through their senses because they learn about the world around them through the different types of sensory stimulation. By the time they reach toddlerhood, they would have the ability to walk and play outside. Apart from encouraging exploration and experimentation, sensory learning also addresses two sensory systems: the proprioceptive and vestibular systems[9].

The proprioceptive sense refers to awareness of one’s body. It helps children know about their different body parts and how they are connected to one another. This helps children learn how much force they must exert when holding, pushing, pulling or lifting objects.

The vestibular sense or balance sense, helps children maintain balance when they are sitting up, walking, climbing, bending over or looking up.

Sensory learning helps build nerve connections in their brains’ pathways which will contribute greatly in their overall cognitive growth.

3: Builds Children’s Confidence and Wellbeing, Lowers Stress

With feeling freer in the outdoors, children become more at ease with themselves because there is less structure in their play than most types of indoor play. They don’t worry about the “rules” of the game or having to follow instructions as directed by adults. Because they have the power to control their own actions, they become more independent and develop confidence and self-esteem as they tackle slides, swings, monkey bars and other play equipment by themselves.

Of course, parents have to be around to keep an eye on them and keep them safe from falls and injury. But the rest of the achievements would be the child’s alone.

Apart from gaining a sense of wellbeing, studies show that being outdoors lowers cortisol[10] levels − the body’s stress hormone, while it raises endorphins – hormones that increase feelings of wellbeing. In fact, it has been said that outdoor activity is the ultimate de-stressor[11]. Children with anxiety issues and those with ADHD benefit most from outdoor play[12].

4: Promotes Children’s Imagination and Creativity

Because unstructured play is not organised or predetermined by a set of rules, it allows children the freedom to explore all kinds of possibilities, create their own games based on what’s available in the yard or field and discover their own fun and joy from the games they come up with. Playing outdoors therefore promotes their creativity and imagination[13] as well as foster problem-solving and social skills.

They could build an obstacle course out of old buckets and flower pots, ride a bike and pretend to be a racer or find seashells or build sandcastles and other sand creations on the beach. These outdoor creations are limited only by their imagination.

Unstructured play can also involve others such as siblings and friends and together they can make up their own guidelines such as who takes turns, when and how.

5: Improves Children’s Communication Skills, Encourages Questions and Learning

Playing outdoors doesn’t necessarily mean playing in the park or in the child’s garden only. It could be a nature walk or hike in one of the many nature trails our country offers, visiting a farm, a zoo or petting zoo, or even wildlife parks and eco-sanctuaries where kids are encouraged to interact with flora and fauna, be inquisitive, ask a lot of questions, and touch and learn about the animals, birds, insects, plants, trees and the different kinds of natural habitats in our country.

When exposed to all these new experiences, children will be curious and ask questions. Because they will be filled with wonder they will want to learn more, learn to speak up and as a result, interact better with others. While they take in new information about the wildlife or plants they are encountering, they are also introduced to a wider range of vocabulary and this sparks more interesting conversations with one another and at home.

6: Helps Children develop Respect for the Natural World

As children experience and develop a closeness with the natural world such as animals, insects, birds, plants, trees, grass, sunrise, sunsets, the white clouds in the blue sky, the running water in a brook or stream, they will learn to love and appreciate nature more as they begin to see themselves as part of the natural world and not outside of it.

According to a 2017 study[14], children who play outdoors are more likely to want to protect nature as adults. In fact, the study says that as much as 87% of people[15] who regularly played outside during their childhood, still held a love for nature when they grew up. On top of that, 84% of these young adults still believe that taking care of the environment is a priority to them and would take action to protect it whether it is curbing pollution, cleaning rivers or slowing down climate change.

Because they have had interaction with nature − whether it was watching butterflies flutter among flowers, planting plants or explored wildlife parks – they keep wonderful memories that drive them to become empathetic and compassionate adults.

7: Teaches Children Responsibility

Getting to know about nature first-hand teaches children about the cycle of life and death. In nature, living things will die if not tended to. A child that has planted a seed will realise that he needs to give it water, sunshine and fresh air in order for it to sprout and if forgets to water the plant, it will die.

This makes him take responsibility for his actions. The same applies to outdoor group play or team sports[16] such as football, netball or relay races where children have to take responsibility for themselves because the rest of the team is reliant on them to deliver. He has to make sure he practices because every action that the child takes will affect the others.

8: Reduces children’s risk of becoming shortsighted

Apart from gaining the benefits of sunlight where bright daylight has been cited to prevent short-sightedness or myopia, experts say that being outdoors also reduces the risk of myopia in children.

Myopia is an eye condition that causes blurred far vision. Once myopia develops in children it deteriorates every few months[17] until the late teens and early adulthood. This is called progressive myopia which affects children’s quality of life and also poses risks to long term eye health.

Myopia is very common worldwide and affects 5% of preschoolers, 9% of school age children and 30% of teens[18] and its prevalence has doubled over the last few decades.

Researchers aren’t sure why[19] playing outdoors is good for vision health but one reasoning may be due to children spending too much time doing close work or near-vision work such as reading, doing homework or watching a screen.

Countless studies[20] have said that spending at least 13 hours per week outdoors has been shown to reduce the likelihood of children developing myopia. This works out to be under two hours a day that children should spend outdoors. Parents can help children lower their risk of myopia by making sure the child plays regularly outdoors[21] to ensure they get to look at greenery and at sceneries or objects far away.