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http://www.earlychildhoodnews.com/earlychildhood/article_view.aspx?ArticleID=275
EarlychildhoodNEWSArticleReadingCenter
TakeitOutside!
ByRaePica
Tonysitsfocusedonhiscomputerscreen.Keisha'swatchingher
favoritetelevisionprogram.AndKimisenthusiasticallyplayingvideo
games.Whatdothesethreescenarioshaveincommon?They'reall
takingplaceindoorsasituationbecomingmoreandmoretypicalin
thelivesofAmericanchildren.
Thereareanumberofreasonsforthisdisturbingtrend.Amongthem
islackoftime,aspreschoolersinoursocietyleadadultlike,highly
scheduledlivesandparentsthemselveshavelesstimetosupervise
outdoorplayortotaketheirchildrentotheplayground.
Safetyisanotherissueintoday'sworld,withmanyparentsreluctant
toallowtheirchildrenthefreedomtheythemselvesmayhavehadas
children.And,ofcourse,thecompetitionwithtelevision,computers,
andvideogamesistremendous.Whatcouldtheoutdoorspossibly
havetoofferthatthesethreesourcesdon't?Theanswerisalot!
TheImportanceofOutdoorPlay
Theoutdoorsistheverybestplaceforpreschoolerstopracticeand
masteremergingphysicalskills.Itisintheoutdoorsthatchildrencan
fullyandfreelyexperiencemotorskillslikerunning,leaping,and
jumping.Itisalsothemostappropriateareaforthepracticeofball
handlingskills,likethrowing,catching,andstriking.Andchildrencan
performothersuchmanipulativeskillsaspushingaswing,pullinga
wagon,andliftingandcarryingmovableobjects.
Additionally,itisintheoutdoorsthatchildrenarelikelytoburnthe
mostcalories,whichhelpspreventobesity,aheartdiseaseriskfactor
thathasdoubledinthepastdecade.Withstudiesshowingthatas
manyashalfofAmericanchildrenarenotgettingenoughexercise
andthatriskfactorslikehypertensionandarteriosclerosisare
showingupatage5parentsandteachersneedtogiveserious
considerationtowaysinwhichtopreventsuchhealthproblems.The
outsideisalsoimportantbecausetheoutdoorlightstimulatesthe
pinealgland,thepartofthebrainthatregulatesthe"biologicalclock,"
isvitaltotheimmunesystem,andmakesusfeelhappier.
OutdoorPlayContributestoLearning
Theoutdoorshassomethingmoretoofferthanjustphysicalbenefits.
Cognitiveandsocial/emotionaldevelopmentareimpacted,too.
Outside,childrenaremorelikelytoinventgames.Astheydo,they're
abletoexpressthemselvesandlearnabouttheworldintheirown
way.Theyfeelsafeandincontrol,whichpromotesautonomy,
decisionmaking,andorganizationalskills.Inventingrulesforgames
(aspreschoolersliketodo)promotesanunderstandingofwhyrules
arenecessary.Althoughthechildrenareonlyplayingtohavefun,
they'relearning
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communicationskillsandvocabulary(astheyinvent,modify,
andenforcerules).
numberrelationships(astheykeepscoreandcount)
socialcustoms(astheylearntoplaytogetherandcooperate).
LearningtoAppreciatetheOutdoors
Wecan'tunderestimatethevalueoftheaestheticdevelopment
promotedbybeingoutside.Aestheticawarenessreferstoa
heightenedsensitivitytothebeautyaroundus.Becausethenatural
worldisfilledwithbeautifulsights,sounds,andtextures,it'sthe
perfectresourceforthedevelopmentofaestheticsinyoungchildren.
Preschoolerslearnmuchthroughtheirsenses.Outsidethereare
manydifferentandwonderfulthingsforthemtosee(animals,birds,
andgreenleafyplants),tohear(thewindrustlingthroughtheleaves,
arobin'ssong),tosmellfragrantflowersandtherainsoakedground,
totouch(afuzzycaterpillarorthebarkofatree),andeventotaste
(newlyfallensnoworaraindroponthetongue).Childrenwhospenda
lotoftimeacquiringtheirexperiencesthroughtelevisionand
computersareusingonlytwosenses(hearingandsight),whichcan
seriouslyaffecttheirperceptualabilities.

Finally,whatbetterplacethantheoutdoorsforchildrentobeloudand
messyandboisterous?Outsidetheycanrunandjumpandyell,and
expendsomeoftheenergythatisusuallyinappropriateandeven
annoyingindoors.
Conclusion
Whenparentsandteachersthinkbacktotheirownchildhoods,
chancesaresomeoftheirfondestmemoriesareofoutdoorplaces
andactivities.Suchmemoriesmightincludeafavoriteclimbingtree
orasecrethidingplace,learningtoturncartwheelswithafriend,or
playingtagwiththefamilydog.Maybetherewasthesmelloflilacs,
thefeelofthesunonthefirstdaywarmenoughtogowithouta
jacket,orthetasteofapeanutbutterandjellysandwichonablanket
spreadonthegrass.Childrenusuallysharethevaluesofthe
importantadultsintheirlives.Whenweshowanappreciationforthe
greatoutdoors,thechildreninourliveswillfollowourlead.
RaePicahasbeenamovementeducationconsultantfor20years.
AnadjunctprofessorwiththeUniversityofNewHampshire,Raeis
theauthorof12books,includingExperiencesinMovement,Moving,
&LearningAcrosstheCurriculum,andtherecentlyreleasedMoving
&LearningSeries.
ActivitiesfortheGreatOutdoors
Anaturewalkisagreatwaytoenhancechildrens
appreciationofthenaturalenvironment.Askthemtotellyou
whatthey'reseeing,hearing,andsmelling.Encouragethemto
touchtodiscoverthesmoothnessofarock,theroughness
ofbark,andthefragilityofadriedleaf.Foryoungchildren,
thesearescienceexperiences.
Setupanobstaclecoursewitholdtires,largeappliance
boxes,andtreestumps.Movingthroughitwillteachimportant
conceptslikeover,under,through,andaround.
A"listening"walkmakesforawonderfulsounddiscrimination
activity.Asyouwalkwiththechildren,pointoutthesoundsof
birds,passingcars,whistlingwind,evenyourfootstepsonthe
sidewalk.Whatsoundscanthechildrenidentifyontheirown?
Whichareloudandwhicharesoft?Whicharehighandwhich
arelow?Whataretheirfavoritesounds?Bringalongatape
recordersothechildrencantrytoidentifythesoundsatalater
time!
Bringtheparachuteoranoldsheetoutsideandplayparachute
games(shakingit,circlingwithit,makingwaveswithit,or
bouncingfoamballsonit).
Bringaportableboomboxoutdoorsandletthechildren
experiencethejoyofdancinginanaturalenvironment!

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4/19/2017 EarlychildhoodNEWSArticleReadingCenter

Try"waterpainting,"inwhichchildrenpaintthesideofa
buildingwithabrushandabucketofwater.Itexercisesarms
anduppertorsowhilealsoteachingaboutwetanddry,light
anddark,andevaporation.
Chasingbubblesgiveschildrenachancetorun!
Resources
HugaTreeandOtherThingstoDoOutdoorswithYoungChildrenby
RobertRockwell,RobertWilliams,andElizabethSherwood.Gryphon
House,1983.

SharingNaturewithChildrenbyJosephBharatCornell.Ananda
Press,1982.

TheGreatOutdoors:RestoringChildren'sRighttoPlayOutsideby
M.S.Rivkin.NAEYC,1995.

TheOutrageousOutdoorGamesBookbyBobGregson,Fearon,
1984.

TheOutsidePlayandLearningBookbyKarenMiller.Gryphon
House,1989.

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duplicatedordistributedinanyform,inwholeorinpart,withoutpermissionfromthepublisher,
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2008ExcelligenceLearningCorporation,AllRightsReserved.

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