After experiencing Sydney’s fourth wettest August on record, it’s safe to say we are all enjoying the recent burst of Spring sunshine and warmth that has come on the back of it! And so are the children at The Owl & The Pussycat Preschool.
The recently renovated outdoor space at our Warriewood service is getting a good work out with climbing, skipping, riding, sliding, building, jumping, scooping and all manner of play happening in every corner. Role play and imaginary play with a side order of Vitamin D and dirt under the fingernails is just what the doctor ordered.
At Collaroy, the “Samburger” event is in full swing. Once a week parents and children gather to run laps of the neighbouring park before preschool drop off. It is The Owl & The Pussycat’s version of a Park Run. Each week children tally their laps and look forward to celebrating their achievements at the end of the year. It teaches resilience, perseverance and sportsmanship. The “Samburger” run helps foster a love of exercise by getting children’s positive endorphins pumping, setting them up physically and emotionally for the day.
We all know the benefits of outdoor activity for us as adults – Vitamin D exposure, increased heart rate, positive hormones released, seeing and experiencing nature all lead to a positive impact on our overall wellbeing. And it is the same – if not more so – for our children and their development.
Emotional regulation and growth, sensory play and physical development, mental stimulation, connection to the natural world, and encouraging creativity are just some of the benefits of the great outdoors on young hearts, minds and bodies.
Emotional Regulation and Growth: deep breaths of fresh air, eyes squinting as sunshine streams through leaves. Being outdoors allows for space, and freedom in play that cannot be matched inside. Engaging in group play outdoors allows children to collaborate, create, and problem-solve with their peers in relaxed, open-ended ways. This leads to greater sense of connection, belonging and enhancing their emotional wellbeing and social skills.
Sensory Play and Physical Development: Sand, dirt, pebbles, grass, leaves, wind, sunlight all provide natural sensory stimulation for growing minds and bodies. There are no sound or height restrictions when playing outdoors – squeal loudly, jump high. And engaging these sensory stimuli and physical activities create coordination, balance, spatial awareness, along with gross and fine motor skills.
Mental stimulation: Clearly, it’s not only children’s bodies that benefit from outdoor play, but their minds as well. All five senses are engaged when outdoors, fostering creativity, curiosity and critical thinking through question asking, problem solving and imaginary role play.
Connection to the natural world: for our children to build a love of nature, they need to spend time in it, seeing, feeling, smelling and tasting all it has to offer. Observing insects, planting seeds, watering flowers, tasting fruits, splashing in puddles. Children learn their interconnectedness to nature through regular interactions with it.
Creativity: There are no boundaries in outdoor play. A stick becomes a wand, a handful of sticks a fort, sand a construction site, mud a pie, pebbles a family, or leaves a canvas for art. The open-ended nature of outdoor spaces fuels imaginations and endless possibilities.
The benefits of outdoor play lead to greater physical, emotional and mental wellbeing in children. At The Owl & The Pussycat Preschool we value and intentionally seek to foster a lifelong love and habit of engaging with the outdoors – at the start and end of everyday – in the next generation.
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