Play
THE BUSINESS MAGAZINE FOR EDUCATION – www.educationbusinessuk.net
OUTDOOR LEARNING
Prioritise outdoor play to give your pupils an advantage The positive impact that outdoor play has on children in terms of their concentration, academic achievement, physical fitness and overall wellbeing means those schools which don’t prioritise play could be at a serious disadvantage. Mark Hardy, chair of API, reports We all share a responsibility to ensure that children are able to play and exercise enough to safeguard their physical and mental health – parents, schools, communities, local authorities and government all have a role to play. However, competing priorities can often mean that facilitating children’s outdoor play can get pushed down the to-do list. The positive impact that outdoor play has on children in terms of their concentration, academic achievement, physical fitness and overall wellbeing means those schools which don’t prioritise play could be at a serious disadvantage. THE BENEFITS The effects upon children of unstructured outdoor play, preferably with some built-in risk, are profound.
Play is the foundation for learning. In fact, play is learning. It allows children to develop their creativity, imagination and problem-solving skills. Play is the earliest manifestation of a child’s desire to learn and of their thirst for knowledge. It is second nature to them which means learning is too. To curtail play is to curtail learning. Play also improves a child’s ability to focus and concentrate. Incorporating physical activity into a child’s day has a positive effect on their behaviour and their ability to focus for longer periods of time. Children are inherently active and without regular opportunities for outdoor
play they can have a tendency to let off steam at far less appropriate times. A child’s ability to interact well with those around them and develop positive relationships is an important factor in their overall school success and play is vital in developing essential social skills. For children to get the most out of play they have to display empathy, negotiate roles, take turns, resolve conflict, navigate rules and assess risk. PSYCHOLOGICAL WELLBEING Outdoor play fosters children’s emotional and psychological resilience. Through free, !
Play is the for ion foundat lay allows .P learningn to develop childre creativity, their tion and imagina -solving problemills sk
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