Children naturally move more, experience creativity and imagination, build strength and endurance, and engage their senses when outside. Weather patterns like wind, rain, or snow build resilience and provide healthy challenges, while the sun gives feel-good vitamin D.

When children play outside the opportunities to become more confident and independent are limitless. For instance:

They may see a set of trees and want to climb one, but which tree is the best to climb? Planning how they will achieve this goal requires executive functioning skills. Strength in their arms, legs, and core will be needed to push and pull their body up the trunk and over branches. Social interaction naturally occurs when a friend catches their sweatshirt on the ground or climbs up behind them to hang out and get a different view of the world from in the trees. The thinking “I can’t do it” becomes “I did it!”

Being in nature is calming and grounding. The sensory experiences are plentiful.
Imagine walking through a creek, your body interprets the temperature. Is it cold or warm? You hear birds in the trees and use your visual scanning to locate them. Are they near or far away from you? When you’re finished playing in the creek, you walk through the grass barefoot and it tickles your feet. Our senses come alive in the outdoors. This is why it is a great place to work on areas of growth for our kids! Social interaction, executive functioning skills, increasing our attention and focus, building body awareness and strength in our muscles all while building our connection with nature.

Put your shoes on, or leave them off and join us outdoors!