Benefits of Outdoor Play By Kelly Lee Humboldt Unified School District Community Engagement Coordinator
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ith the introduction of smartphones, laptops and on demand streaming of movies we have seen a shift from children playing outdoors for hours to very limited outdoor play time. Recent research has shown that outdoor play is key to not only physical health but also mental health. “Exercise is the single best thing you can do for your brain in terms of mood, memory, and learning,” says Harvard Medical School psychiatrist John Ratey, author of the book, Spark: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain. John J. Ratey, MD, is an Associate Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School and an internationally recognized expert in Neuropsychiatry.
Science based research that shows that children who engage in physical activity are better learners because exercise (physical activity) does not just work the skeletal muscles, but it is also working the brain, which is also a muscle, by creating new neural pathways and strengthening 8
TG MAGAZINE | SPRING 2020
existing neural pathways. He also
making and risk taking, they also utilize leadership skills all while being physically states that students perform better on tests engaged in the activities. They are also after engaging in physical activity. “You’re engaging with nature by climbing trees, challenging your brain even more when playing in the leaves, skipping rocks at a you have to think about coordination,” lake or swimming in their favorite watering explains Ratey. “Like muscles, you have to stress your brain cells to get them to grow.” hole. Outdoor play brings the best the world has to offer a child all just by simply Complicated activities also improve our capacity to learn by enhancing our attention letting them play outdoors. We need to encourage children to play and concentration skills, according to outdoors no matter what age they may be. German researchers who found that high We also need to support these activities school students scored better on highby giving them the opportunities in our attention tasks after doing 10 minutes of a community for outdoor play. Parks should complicated fitness routine compared to 10 be convenient, safe and fun places for them minutes of regular activity. (Those who had to play. Neighborhoods should be built not exercised at all scored the worst.) with children of all ages in mind. Schools How can we as parents, educators and need ample supplies of sports gear and community members engage children in playground equipment for students of all outdoor activity? Something as simple levels. Encourage participation from the as taking kids to a community park with whole family so as to build it into their a playground helps to stimulate brain lifestyle. The benefits of active outdoor play muscles through active play and creative will benefit the children with a healthy imagination. If you sit on a park bench brain and a healthy body. These are positive and watch children play outside you can benefits that researchers have shown will see many brain functions hard at work. improve test scores and give students better They are collaborating with their peers, communicating with their “outside voices”, ability to regulate their energy and maintain classroom focus. It’s a win-win for everyone. engaging their frontal lobe with decision-
