Outdoor Play: Where No Child Is Left Behind

By Linda Williams

It was time for lunch recess. The front door of the school opened and a mass of first, second and third graders in pink, red, blue, green and black winter coats surged forth into the sunlight. The air echoed with cries of delight and the thunder of running winter boots on the concrete path that led to the natural playground surrounding our school. The sun was bright and the hint of warmth in the air was confirmed by a few large puddles where skating “rinks” had been the day before. Spring was coming! Buds had become apparent on previously silent trees, birds and squirrels scampered freely, and the myriad sounds of children filled the air. In moments children were engaged with each other, with the earth, and with themselves. Some were on the swings, rising up into the sunlit air. Another group had found a surviving ice patch in the shade of a playscape. A few were stretching their limbs on the monkey bars. Others went to see what changes the warmth had wrought on their carefully constructed snow fort. In between these groups darted children in and out of the puddles, playing tag, and just running in the promises of spring.

Outdoor play is one of the best havens of healthy childhood that we can offer our children. Nature’s playscape is found in the elements, in myriad forms of earth, air, fire and water. This playscape offers the perfect place for children to develop social and cognitive capacities, learn their own and others’ limits, and connect with Mother Earth, their first and primary home.

Researchers have been documenting the effects of outdoor play on children for many years now. For example, Howard Gardner has expanded his multiple intelligence theory to include an eighth capacity: Naturalist Intelligence. This type of intelligence allows people to distinguish among, classify and use features of the environment. Explorers, farmers, gardeners, botanists, geologists, florists and archaeologists all exhibit this intelligence and everyone has the potential to develop it. From another perspective, sensory integration specialists note that rich outdoor sensory environments are essential for developing feelings of competence in children and adults. Learning first comes through our senses, and abundant sensory experiences help to develop neural contexts for learning and exploration.

Teachers also see the value of outdoor play. A colleague noted recently that her class always goes more smoothly after the children have enjoyed a good recess. “It is as if all the children intuitively know what will help settle them in. Some play kickball, others invent a see-saw and still others play various tag games. When children are allowed to engage spontaneously and safely with nature, they seem to become more relaxed, confident and creative.”

Natural environments offer our children the chance to slow down and breathe with the rhythms of the earth. With our sedentary, television-laden, urban lifestyles, our children are spending fewer hours out-of-doors in natural, spontaneous, imaginative play. One way to remedy this is to make outdoor play a part of your daily schedule. Promise yourself and your children that you will take advantage of opportunities to engage in nature play this spring and summer. Let him discover the secrets of earth, water, air and fire. Mud and sand play are essential activities. Give your child a special place in the garden where he can dig freely and make mud pies and cakes or build a sandbox. Swimming, taking walks in rain showers and puddle jumping are excellent water activities. Children are fascinated by the power of the wind and are thrilled by the sensation of flying through the air on a swing, and making and testing pinwheels and kites. Campfires, outdoor cooking, and special occasions celebrated with lanterns or candles help kindle a sense of honor and respect for fire.

Outdoor play helps children become themselves. It subtly reminds them that they are part of the great cycles of life; that they are citizens of the earth and of the universe. Regular, creative, spontaneous play on nature’s playground is a necessary part of childhood. It provides valuable scaffolds for learning, helps children develop social skills and helps them to become confident and secure in their skills and in their being.

Linda Williams is a Class Teacher at the Detroit Waldorf School and a doctoral candidate in Teacher Education at Michigan State University. She may be reached at detroitwaldorf@earthlink.net