A MOPS talk...
To
moms who have been battling pent up energy in their little ones during the cold
winter, the spring weather is a Godsend!
Getting outside is easier after being cooped up from winter. And it’s a good time to start a habit of
getting out regularly for walks and just free play outside. Get some appropriate gear, good shoes and
clothing for both your children and yourself and go outside with them!
A while back I gave a MOPS talk (Mothers of Preschoolers) on fostering a love of reading in your child--I will go back next month and write on that one. (I wrote a while back on Reading Books with Little Ones). Those of you at the talk will remember that it all starts with fostering a love of stories and learning to see those stories all around us. There are so many stories unfolding outside if we would take the time to actually get out there in that open space with unstructured time to see them!
So besides the obvious benefit to you as a mom, I thought I would give you some support from recent studies for the benefits to your child...physical, mental, emotional & spiritual benefits.
Physical, Mental & Emotional:
·
Exercise
in a natural environment is shown to have greater benefits than in an artificial
one (Peninsula College of Medicine, 2011) – climb trees, walk ravines, go on a
neighborhood walk…
·
Several experimental studies in recent years show mounting
evidence for the cognitive benefits of exercise (Exercise for
Children: The Cognitive Benefits, Dewar).
Research consistently shows aerobic exercise boosts BDNF for brain cell
growth, stimulates new neurons and genes for brain plasticity. It can give children better focus and
control. Many tests show that children
actually perform better in all kinds of cognitive areas when they are
active. It is also shown that ADHA kids
may have better self-control as a result of exercise. Apparently there is a caveat—it doesn’t show
to work as well with forced exercise; it has to be voluntary and FUN to reap
the benefits:
Structured
activities—like team sports or dance lessons—may be fine options. But so are
nature walks, tree-climbing, roller-skating, and playing hide-and-seek. In fact, play-like exercise is good for the
brain. Perhaps the most effective exercise for children is free, unstructured,
physical play.
·
These same findings are corroborated in other
research says David Elkind (Can We Play?, 2008) who emphasizes the importance
of physical play for children’s learning and development. The pressure has ratcheted for parents who are
trying to make schooling choices for their children and are concerned by the
oft repeated notion that their child will be behind and won’t be ready for
kindergarten without the push of academic preschool. That is what some in the education industry
maintain, but what does early childhood development research show?
Spending one
third of the school day in physical education, art, and music improved not only
physical fitness, but attitudes toward learning and test scores. These findings
echo those from one analysis of 200 studies on the effects of exercise on
cognitive functioning, which also suggests that physical activity promotes
learning. In recent years, and most especially since the 2002 passage of the No
Child Left Behind Act, we’ve seen educators, policy makers, and many parents
embrace the idea that early academics leads to greater success in life. Yet
several studies by Kathy Hirsch-Pasek and colleagues have compared the
performance of children attending academic preschools with those attending
play-oriented preschools. The results showed no advantage in reading and math
achievement for children attending the academic preschools. But there was
evidence that those children had higher levels of test anxiety, were less
creative, and had more negative attitudes toward school than did the children
attending the play preschools. So if play is that important, why is it
disappearing?
I
included a couple of stanzas from a poem entitled, JUST PLAY to consider.
When you see me combing the bushes for bugs,
or packing my pockets with choice things I find, don’t pass it off as JUST
PLAY. For you see, I am learning as I paly.
I may be a scientist some day.
When you asked me what I did in school today
and I say, 'I just played.' Please don’t misunderstand me. For you see, I am
learning as I play. I am learning to enjoy and be successful in my work. Today
I am a child and my work is play.
Anita
Wadley, 1974.
While
researching for my talk, I found this wonderful article, “Kids
with autism benefit from outdoor classroom” by Andrea Gordon, 2013. It tells of Kindergarten teacher, Maia
Crowther, who was inspired to implement an Outdoor Classroom Project at her
school. She tells the story of how this
happened and the amazing results for both her students and the kindergarten
classes for autistic children they partnered with!
[Crowther]
says she’s never seen young students so motivated and engaged. After she
instigated the outdoor classroom project last fall, the two full-day
kindergarten classes took turns using the space every day. Each also partnered
with one of the two kindergarten classes for children with autism. They spent
at least 75 minutes a day outside, sun, rain or snow, and much longer in warm
weather. On a typical day of the school year, more than 30 children can be
found pouring and scooping at the water centre, playing dress-up, making mud
pies or studying ants. In winter, they make ice sculptures, snow angels and
learn about melting and freezing. When the rain comes, it’s all about puddles
and worms. Mounting evidence shows hands-on
outdoor learning boosts physical activity, mental health, brain power and
attention. It also enhances learning by building on children’s curiosity and
firsthand observations.
Some
other research suggests that eliminating play as is the trend in preschools and
elementary schools may have serious ramifications on a child’s emotional
development as well states Professor of Psychology William Crain (Education for
Meaning and Justice, 2010). One study found that not only does “preschool
play enhance cognitive capacities such as problem solving and creativity, [but
also] the ability to see things from others' perspectives”. And “The American
Academy of Pediatrics worries that children who are deprived of free play
become depressed and stressed out”.
Another important issue for playing
with your children is the benefit to your relationship with your child and
family. A guide titled, “The Importance of Play in Early Childhood Development”, from the MSU
education department talks about the family relationships that are developed in
playing together.
Play connects children with their imagination, their environment,
their parents and family and the world. Parental
involvement in a child's world of play is not only beneficial for the child but
is extremely beneficial to the parent. Playing with children establishes and
strengthens bonds that will last forever. Parent-child play opens doors for the
sharing of values, increases communication, allows for teachable moments and
assists in problem solving. Playtime provides opportunities for the parent and
child to confront and resolve individual differences, as well as family related
concerns and issues. Finally, it allows the parent to view the world through
the eyes of a child once again.
In Part II & III, I'll talk more about the Spiritual impact of being outside with your children and give you some resources to inspire you to be outside!
