A question for our founder and head, Monica Shah Zeeman:
Monica, we woke up today to a gorgeous snowfall and it made me, an adult, want to go outside and play. Why is it so important that children play outside every day, no matter what the weather’s like?
When you see something beautiful in nature you’re going to breathe deeper, you’re going to get more exercise, you’re going to feel happier, and you’re going to get more oxygen. Regardless of the weather there is a feel good factor, there is an inner child in all of us and outdoors there’s a feeling of freedom.
We need to develop children’s resilience to thrive in any weather. Some adults feel ‘oh my goodness, if they get cold, they will catch a cold’ but that is wrong. In good fresh air, healthy children who are getting exercise are going to get less colds, they’re going to strengthen their immunity to winter related disorders. Indoors, they’ll be exposed in a social setting to more germs. With exercise they’ll have more of an appetite to eat healthily, and they’ll sleep better at night.
A question for our Kindergarten teacher, Tsai Tenn:
What do you teach outdoors?
In addition to the obvious fun and the health benefits of fresh air and exercise, studies show that learning outdoors boosts the child’s personal development. It does this by encouraging social skills, giving them a chance to exercise and grow their critical and creative thinking, their problem solving abilities, and, of course, communication skills with both other children and with adults .
I take my kindergarten class on learning walks. We can compare the sizes of a group of buildings or of a group of vehicles which broadens their mathematical knowledge and teaches them the importance of math in our everyday world. I also love to explore signage, not just reading words, but working out what symbols mean. That is all reading for meaning and deciphering.
I love to incorporate fun, play and learning walks into my teaching.
Watch this space for more insights from Monica and the team about the importance of outdoor play!
Photo Credit: Diana Kübler and Patti Baumgartner
Friday 19th January 2024
