COVID-19 and technology continue to affect childhood as we know it. For parents, an enjoyable childhood can be difficult, with more distractions clouding their desire to get outside. However, the benefits of children spending time outside still outweigh any negatives. A child’s upbringing can have a profound effect on their entire life, and every parent can agree it should involve plenty of enjoyment. Outdoor play can also have a far bigger impact on their health than you may realize. Continue reading for an in-depth look at the impact playing outside has on child development and some of the fun ways it can happen.

Lead To a Healthier Lifestyle

Even at an early age, getting your child outdoors allows them to get the exercise they need, but it can also shape their lifestyle for years to come. Running, biking, playing sports, and all the other activities you can do outdoors can get your child moving and used to being that active and encourage them to do so, which has lasting health benefits. Outdoor play promotes a healthy and active lifestyle, and the earlier they start, the better off they can be.

Get Sunlight

Another element of children playing outside is them getting that much-needed sunlight, especially after a long winter indoors and spending lots of time in the classroom. The main reason why getting sun is so important is because it gives you child increased levels of vitamin D, which comes with numerous benefits such as developing bone growth. Of course, being out in the sun all day has its downsides as well, so make sure your child is wearing SPF.

Build Confidence

The next thing playing outside can do for your child is build a little bit of confidence that can continue to grow. The correlation between building confidence and playtime starts with taking risks on the playground. Of course, safety is the number one priority, but playing outside allows your child to take risks such as trying something they never had before out on the playground. The keyword here is “try,” because that is what your child can do outside and learn a valuable lesson from it when they fail to do so at times. Allowing your child to learn that failure isn’t as devastating as it may seem, since failure is part of the building blocks towards confidence in school, sports, and in other situations. That is something outdoor play can teach your child.

Learn Social Skills

Getting outside also allows your child to play with other kids, which leads to a few positives. Namely, playtime outside allows your child to socialize with other children. Communication and working with others are such huge aspects of life and should happen as soon as possible. For example, your child can learn to share toys or work together with others to build or achieve something. Giving your child the opportunity to play with other children and form relationships is vital for their growth.

Help With Spatial Awareness

Spatial awareness is something you don’t think twice about, but it’s something that does need to progress—and what better way for it to improve than to play outside? If a child doesn’t learn spatial awareness, then they run the risk of suffering from an injury to the head or other parts of the body. Children need to learn about the different distances and sizes of their surroundings to safely function in the world. The outdoors allows a child to encounter an unlimited number of different spaces and environments to strengthen their spatial awareness.

Enjoy Nature

Spending time outside also allows your child to experience nature in its purest form. Valuing nature gives your child an idea of how the world works, from the plants and weather to the animals. It can be easy for anyone to take our planet for granted, but spending time outside gives your child a chance to recognize the beauty of what Earth has to offer, especially on those wonderful summer days.

Boost Imagination

Outdoor play also sparks something else in children that is crucial in development—imagination. Letting the mind wander is important for children, and playing games outside with other children or by themselves can help reinforce your child’s creative side. Like the other things mentioned on this list, imagination is a crucial life skill children should learn from a young age to help them succeed in life.

Prolong Attention Span

Many children face ADHD, and it can be a tough obstacle to overcome for both the child and the parent. Encouraging a child time outside is a well-known way that can help decrease ADHD symptoms. When children play outside, the exploration of the world can allow them to become more self-efficient and remain focused on a task for a longer time period, as opposed to staying indoors more often.

Develop Motor Skills

A common benefit people tend to bring up first with outdoor activity is the development of motor skills that tends to naturally occur with outdoor play. Motor skills are a quintessential part of childhood growth, and being active by using your arms, fingers, hands, feet, legs, and the other parts of the body is key. There are many ways to accomplish this outside. One great option that is also incredibly fun for young children is to drive around in an electric ride on a vehicle, no matter the child’s age. Children’s luxury push cars allow them to get a feel for the wheel that instantly translates to using their motor skills early on in their years.

Muscle Growth

The last reason children playing outdoors can have a positive effect on their development has to do with their muscle growth. Exercise can do a lot of good for children, and part of playing games and using their body helps promote healthy muscle growth. Children growing their muscles by playing outside can play a part in preventing obesity and the reduce the risk of disease.

If you are trying to find new ways to get your child off their screen and spending more time outside as the weather warms up, then get them something enticing like an electric ride-on car. Elegant Electronix has a wide collection of vehicles for children to ride around the neighborhood in and get fresh air. The impact playing outside has on child development includes many positives, which is why it’s worth getting your child a stylish car of their own—and Elegant Electronix has you covered!