Nursery World - Mind and body

Outdoor activity is not just beneficial but essential to young children's mental, emotional and physical development, says Marjorie Ouvry Why is it that when we think back to our own childhoods, so many of the most outstanding and happy memories are of when we were outdoors? Building dens, walking along walls, rolling down grassy slopes, playing in mud, damming streams, doing risky things. Children today are no different. When asked what they like best about nursery, they invariably cite playing outside. Outdoor play is also vital for development. Children learn by moving, and movement needs space. Only through ready access to the outdoors and stimulating outdoor provision can a child's physical development, personal, social and emotional wellbeing and learning across the curriculum flourish.

Why is it that when we think back to our own childhoods, so many of the most outstanding and happy memories are of when we were outdoors? Building dens, walking along walls, rolling down grassy slopes, playing in mud, damming streams, doing risky things. Children today are no different. When asked what they like best about nursery, they invariably cite playing outside. Outdoor play is also vital for development. Children learn by moving, and movement needs space. Only through ready access to the outdoors and stimulating outdoor provision can a child's physical development, personal, social and emotional wellbeing and learning across the curriculum flourish.

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