Outdoor Play for Emotion Regulation

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Muddy Feet, Calm Minds: Outdoor Play for Emotion Regulation
by Olivia Lobb - Physiotherapist, BHsc (Physiotherapy) AUT, Senior Medical Student UoA
August, 2024

The importance of outdoor play for developing happy and healthy children has been well researched around the world. When we consider all of the components of a child’s wellbeing, outdoor play can have a positive impact on almost all of these. It can improve the physical component, including cardiovascular, metabolic and bone health. It can also facilitate social connection, communication, and creativity. Not only this, it can help to spark curiosity and develop resilience.

In a time where much of a child’s play includes digital devices and indoor activities, the benefits of outdoor play for emotional regulation becomes even more important.

What is Emotional Regulation?
Emotional regulation is the ability to manage and respond to emotional experiences in a healthy way. For children, this skill is crucial as it lays the foundation for social interactions, academic performance, and overall mental health. Emotional regulation helps children handle stress, navigate social complexities, and develop resilience. It essentially helps them to tackle whatever life may throw at them.

How Can Outdoor Play Improve Emotional Regulation?

Reduces Stress

Research shows that outdoor play is linked with reduced stress levels in children. It has been found that children who spend more time in green spaces exhibit lower levels of the stress hormone cortisol, compared to their peers who spend more time indoors[1]. Nature and outdoor play provide a calming effect, reducing stress and anxiety, which are critical factors in emotional regulation.

Improves Mood and Concentration

Research indicates that outdoor activities can improve mood and concentration in children with attention difficulties. It has been found that children with ADHD who regularly play in green outdoor spaces showed fewer problems with concentration, compared to those who played indoors or in built-up outdoor environments[2]. This suggests that outdoor play not only enhances mood but can also improve symptoms of ADHD. This is likely to have flow-on benefits for behavioural issues associated with attention problems, including emotional dysregulation.

Improves Social Skills and Relationships

Outdoor play often involves games and collaborative activities, where children learn to communicate, cooperate, and resolve conflicts. These experiences are great for emotional regulation as they teach children how to manage their emotions in social contexts [3].

How Can I Increase My Child’s Outdoor Play?
Incorporating outdoor play is highly recommended, for the reasons mentioned. However, in a busy world and with screen time an ongoing challenge, we know it can be tough. Here are some of our suggestions for increasing outdoor play:

Make it social: Joining a school or community sports team or organizing playdates based around an outdoor activity can be a great way to build social connection.
Offer choice: Allow the child to decide what sport/dance/activity they might like to do.
Create a routine: Integrate outdoor play into the daily schedule. Whether it's a set time after school or on weekends, consistency helps children expect and look forward to outdoor activities.
Get the whole family involved: Children are more likely to engage in outdoor play if they see the whole family showing enthusiasm.
Set Goals and Rewards: Create fun challenges or goals related to outdoor play and offer small rewards for meeting them.

Incorporating some of these practical tips may help to create and maintain a child’s interest in outdoor play.

If you’re feeling stuck for specific ideas for making outdoor play fun, here are some ideas.

Create chalk walks
Plan scavenger hunts
Picnics in the park
Obstacle courses
Play in the mud/rain
Build a fort
Explore the nearby playgrounds

Engaging in outdoor play can have a positive impact on many areas of development including emotional regulation. Therefore, finding something that your child enjoys is the most important thing. As they say, nature is medicine!

Reference list

Wells, N. M., & Evans, G. W. (2003). Nearby Nature: A Buffer of Life Stress Among Rural Children. Environment and Behavior, 35(3), 311-330.
Taylor, A. F., & Kuo, F. E. (2009). Children With Attention Deficits Concentrate Better After Walking in the Park. Journal of Attention Disorders, 12(5), 402-409.
Burdette, H. L., & Whitaker, R. C. (2005). Resurrecting Free Play in Young Children: Looking Beyond Fitness and Fatness to Attention, Affiliation, and Affect. American Journal of Public Health, 95(4), 568-578.

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