Being outdoors offers children and adults a multi-sensory experience to which they respond instinctively. Have you ever noticed the energy children have on a wild and windy day, the sort of day when they hold their coat high above their head and run into the wind? Compare this to a warm, slow, sunny day, where they choose to play quietly with some water in the shade, watching it drip and splash. Children are at home in nature. As adults we sometimes have forgotten this playfulness, but it’s definitely there, buried in responsibility.

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As a teacher and parent, I have used the outdoors for a whole range of activities, from creating large pieces of art, giving the children cameras and inviting them to take pictures of their world, to den building, bubble blowing and sharing stories. The outdoors enhances childhood.

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The outdoors teaches us about the world around us and our place within it. It enables us to learn through play and exploration, to take risks, to watch changes, to regulate and release our emotions and to begin to understand our own relationships with the environment and with those around us.

 

When we are outside, particularly in the woodland, our survival skills kick in, and suddenly the things that are important to us come into sharp focus: Shelter, safety, food and water and the support of those around us. Being outdoors can promote social skills in children (and adults), especially if they have a task to complete together.

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Having worked therapeutically with both children and adults for over 20 years, I thought I would share some of the therapeutic play activities that have helped people of all ages to improve their wellbeing and connection with nature and self.