When I
was five years old and my sister seven, we lived in a small town in coastal BC.
Our rented house was tiny. The wood and oil stove occupied most of the kitchen,
and the upright piano most of the living room. Each bedroom was the size of a
double bed, period. There was nowhere to play inside the house. We had a
covered porch, an un-landscaped backyard, and neighbouring woods.
My
sister decided one day that she wanted a swimming pool, so she gathered
together her gang, plus me, and put us to work digging a huge hole in the
backyard dirt. She stood above as we dug. My memory is vague, but I feel like I
had to look way up from the pit just to see her feet, when my father came home
from work. What was this? It was outdoors unstructured and largely unsupervised
play. There are plenty of parallel examples of this in my memory, most
involving my sister.
So
today I often reflect on the kind of play that my grandchildren engage in. It
is a more structured world of play characterized by rules, regulations,
expectations, correct ways of doing things, and fear of failure or injury. Today,
Montgomery backyards tend to be smaller, landscaped, and controlled
(supervised) spaces. Many kids have no backyards at all, and those numbers are
growing in our neighbourhood as apartment living becomes available. But outdoor
play continues to be very important for kids!
Here is
a synthesis from several websites for your reflection and enjoyment.
Outdoor
play contributes to the physical health of children. As they walk, run, climb,
scamper, and move, they are exercising muscles and strengthening bones, burning
calories, and helping their metabolism. Breathing deeply in natural
surroundings tends to lower stress and anxiety, while boosting self-reliance
and self-esteem. It might also heighten sensory awareness: hearing, sight,
smell, and touch. Unstructured outside play can foster focus and concentration,
problem-solving, and creative thinking. If children play together outdoors,
they can experience collaboration, problem-solving, empathy, communication, and
conflict resolution. Playing outside allows kids to test their physical
potential and learn to manage risks. This develops independence. In summary,
experts on child development cite evidence of how outdoor play contributes in
key ways to overall healthy child development.
Even
“risky” outdoor play has important benefits, according to outsideplay.org. Rather
than instilling fear in children, they propose allowing them to experiment by
themselves. For instance, they suggest that children should play with heights
to learn to define limits and personal boundaries. Playing with speed develops
motor skills. Playing with tools also promotes hand-eye coordination and
attention to detail. If there is a chance to get lost, children develop
independence. Environmental awareness is another benefit of outside play. We
can encourage kids to understand our connection to nature and natural beauty.
Montgomery
has a wealth of opportunities for kids to engage in outdoor play. Playground
abound, for more structured outdoor play. There are two right in our Shouldice
Park, with one next to the Community Centre (corner of Home Road and 16 Ave). Unstructured
outdoor play can take place all over that athletic park, beginning with the
cool permanent playground area right behind the Community Centre, right down to
the spectacular beach along the river just off 13 Avenue. Be sure to walk down
to the Community Centre, Shouldice Park, and the river to explore. Adults can
engage in unstructured, outdoor play as well. It’s not limited to kids!
By the
way, as I remember it, my father was annoyed, and we had to fill in the hole,
while my sister abandoned that project and moved on to a new idea. She went on
to become an expert on child development and to this day is a major proponent
of risky, unstructured, outdoor play. I survived her trials in those first
field experiments.
Sources
and more information: Outsideplay.org, Phecanada.ca, Canadian Centre for
Outdoor Play (Outdoorplaycanada.ca).
Denise
Brown
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