This week I have come across Persil's "Why dirt is good" campaign and inspired me to write about the importance of outdoor play for children. The link to their website https://www.persil.co.uk/why-dirt-is-good/
I am very passionate about getting children outside from an early age and I see very often how easy it is for parents to get out the I pad for their children instead of playing with them and providing them with exciting learning opportunities. Hey I'm not judging I'm a nanny and I get paid to do this everyday and then I can go home to my childfree home. I do not believe of depriving children of technology however everything needs to be done in moderation and getting your children outside does not always need to be complicated.
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| Bournemouth beach taken by Nanny Bicester |
The weather is getting warmer and I've been spending more time outside with the children. Today we have been outside doing mini Olympic style events which is an activity we have come back to time and time again which is really fun and to be honest you can adapt it for all age children.
My charges are very sporty and love the outdoors luckily and although I have not been gifted in my life in the sporty genes I love being outside with children. When I worked as a nursery manager I would encourage other professionals to get the children outside rain or shine and not because it was an Ofsted requirement!!
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| Top of Carfax Tower, Oxford taken by Nanny Bicester |
Fredick Frobel a childcare theorist studied outdoor play and the benefits for children. His work looked at the importance of the garden in creating outdoor learning opportunities for youngesters and how they learn best by being at nature. I agree with this as the outdoors can be used to not only physically improve your childs health but mentally. The simple things as planting flower seeds and watching them grow or just splashing around in muddly puddles will teach a child so much about the world around them and why things happen.
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| Bourton on the Water, Cotswolds taken by Nanny Bicester |
My charges I try to get outside everyday in the holidays and that's mainly to keep me sane!!! As I have mentioned previously they are very sporty active children at 7 and 10 but entertaining them can be relatively simple. This week me and the eldest had our lunch at the local park as the weather was gorgeous and warm (didn't last as the next day was awful) and played hide and seek.
The next day we put on our raincoats and went for a bike around the bike route that leads up to Jericho in Oxford which is a short 20ish minute ride ending up at a park.
Activity Ideas
How can we get children outside you ask? How can I detach them from the tablet? below I have listed some ideas to do with different aged children.Babies/Toddlers
- Ice cube play/jelly- Get some ice cubes/jelly and put on a tray on a mat in a safe outdoor space
- Duck feeding-take some old bread and go to your local river/park and feed the ducks
Older children
- Mini Olympics- design your own style events including throwing, running (my charges improvised and created their own hurdles and long jump)
- Make animal feeders
Do your children have regular outdoor play? What do they like to do outside? do you ever struggle to get your children to leave the house?
I have created pin boards on my pinterest account to provide further ideas on what to do with children.
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