Everyone remembers their favorite childhood games and time spent outside with their friends. From flashlight tag to epic neighborhood games of hide and seek, it’s no wonder parents had a hard time getting their kids inside for dinner!
Spending time outside is invaluable, and its charm spans generations. As well as being fun, spending time outdoors is also crucial to brain development. When you’re looking for the ideal childcare facility for your family, it’s important to find one that values outdoor time as much as you do.
Why is Playing Outside at Daycare Healthy?
One of the most obvious benefits of outdoor play at daycare is its positive impact on physical health. Children need space to run, jump, and move their bodies, and outdoor environments provide the perfect setting. Little ones running around outdoors helps with the following:
- Gross motor skills
- Balance and coordination
- Healthy sleep habits
Beyond the physical health aspects, outside time plays a significant role in supporting a child’s social-emotional skills and cognitive development. Nature provides endless opportunities for exploration, creativity, and pretend play. Whether they’re building a fort with sticks and twigs, observing insects in their natural habitat, or just running around being silly, they’re learning to use their imagination and interact with peers.
These experiences help break up the day at daycare, plus help to foster independence and confidence as kids take risks and navigate new challenges. More than anything, it gives their little brains a break from the childcare classroom setting, encourages learning through play, and allows time to burn some energy in a healthy way.
Our Favorite Outdoor Daycare Activities
We think the very best thing to let children do outdoors at childcare facilities is to let loose and run free, albeit in a safe, fenced-in play area. However, we have some tried-and-true favorite activities that are always crowd-pleasers at daycare and at home.
Sidewalk chalk is one fantastic example, and you’d be shocked at how creative little ones can be with a simple piece of chalk or two. From drawing pictures on the sidewalk to simply coloring rocks they find out and about, creating art is endlessly nurturing to little minds. It’s also a great option during the hot summer months when kids want to be outside but can’t run around as much in the heat.
Another favorite, and one that can truly be executed anywhere, is an outdoor obstacle course. You can use anything lying around – sticks, rocks, and even bushes and trees. Run around bushes, jump over sticks, and weave through rock minefields as fast as you can, then switch up the course and try again.
Finding Childcare with Outdoor Play
For good childcare centers, incorporating daily outdoor time into the schedule is essential for providing the balanced, engaging environment your little ones need. At The Breakie Bunch Learning Center, we’re proud to prioritize safe outdoor play and teach our students the importance of movement and nature. By giving kids time to explore their world, daycares are helping to shape healthier and happier pupils.