Development

Benefits of Outdoor Play

Mary Petrou
Learning and Innovation Manager

At The Grove Academy we place a high importance on providing a large, safe, natural and FUN outdoor environment for our children to play in. A space where children can run, jump, slide, shout, climb, ride, explore, kick, throw enjoy the fresh air and sunshine.

With the long and fun list of outdoor play equipment found at each of our centres, the possibilities for play and development are endless. Children can climb the fort and pretend they are pirates for a day, or jump around on our  trampolines and try to reach for the sky, or they can race different balls down the slide to discover which one goes down the fastest.

But besides fun, there are countless other benefits of outdoor play for your child:

Physical

The first and most obvious benefit is that outdoor play is great for their general health and wellbeing.

  • Outdoor play helps exercise little muscles, strengthen growing bodies and build stamina.
  • It is invaluable and essential in helping develop fine/gross motor skills and hand-eye coordination.
  • It also helps children learn about their bodies and their physical abilities.

Developmental

Outdoor play has so much more to offer than just physical benefits as it also engages and strengthens little minds.

  • It develops social skills including spatial awareness, cooperation and communication as children play and interact in open, free and unstructured spaces.
  • It also develops life skills such as independence and resilience as they learn to manage risks and face their fears.
  • Nature engages all the senses and has no bounds when it comes to imagination. So it provides the ideal environment for unique and enjoyable lessons which activate thinking outside the box and encourages creativity and curiosity.

Nature

Outdoor play also helps your child connect with nature and the environment around them.

  • It allows children to learn countless new things about this big wide world around them. How do plants grow? Why does this sand always stick to my skin? What happens when you pour water on the ground after a hot day?

Outdoor play forms an important part of our curriculum and the Grove Develop Program. On a daily basis children utilise our outdoor yards for free play, relaxation and learning experiences/activities, all of which touch on the following Grove Develop Program aspects: Grove Fitness, Grove Health, Grove Confidence and Grove Learning.

More Information about the author

Mary Petrou
Learning and Innovation Manager

As the Learning and Innovation Manager for The Grove Academy, I am passionate about children’s learning and development and the role educators play throughout the early years. My aim is to challenge the notion that early education is just “babysitting” by implementing diverse and child centric experiences within all Grove campuses. Since beginning in the early childhood sector in 2007 and studying a Bachelor of Early Childhood Teaching, I have broadened my knowledge and understanding of holistic child development and the strategies required to set the foundations for growth and independence. I am excited to share my ideas, knowledge and tips to our Grove community through The Grove Collective blog.

More Information about the author

Mary Petrou
Learning and Innovation Manager

As the Learning and Innovation Manager for The Grove Academy, I am passionate about children’s learning and development and the role educators play throughout the early years. My aim is to challenge the notion that early education is just “babysitting” by implementing diverse and child centric experiences within all Grove campuses.

Since beginning in the early childhood sector in 2007 and studying a Bachelor of Early Childhood Teaching, I have broadened my knowledge and understanding of holistic child development and the strategies required to set the foundations for growth and independence.

I am excited to share my ideas, knowledge and tips to our Grove community through The Grove Collective blog.