Outdoor play is important for children's health and physical fitness. In addition, the outdoors gives us a rich environment in which to learn. Almost everything we do indoors we can also do outside. We can play with sand and water, experiment with art, look at books, etc.
Unless it is extremely cold, hot, or storming, we go outdoors at least once a day. We don't always stay in the same place when we go outside. Sometimes we go for a neighborhood walk. As we walk, we talk a lot about what we see. We sometimes look for things to collect on our walks, such as leaves, rocks, and dandelions. We talk about the changes in weather and about where the birds go in the winter. We walk, jump, trot, walk backward, and hop sometimes, too. The babies enjoy listening to the different sounds outdoors and seeing what is going on. Being outdoors is a new environment for the children to explore.
The time we spend outdoors gives children a chance to be in a space where they can move around freely and develop their large muscles. It also gives them time to learn to play together, make up their own games, try out new skills, and learn about nature and how things grow.
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