Why Outdoor Activities Are Great For Kids Of All Needs

Spending time outdoors is good for you – that’s never been a statement that’s been in doubt. Taking your kids outside and spending time as a family is also incredible. Everyone gets space to move, plenty of new skills can be learned, and you can even meet and make lots of new friends (even in the form of wildlife) along the way. 

Sometimes though, the idea of taking kids of different needs outside and letting them explore can be daunting. If you’re not sure how your child will react, or what may cause them to experience anxiety they find hard to handle, the idea of heading down the park with a picnic could become a total no-no in your head. 

But outdoor activities are great, no matter who is accessing them or what they may need from them. Indeed, the more outside access everyone in the family gets, the more fun, enjoyable, and even peaceful the outdoors will feel! 

The Outdoor World Tends to Be Hands-on

That alone makes it a great place to be for any child who needs sensory support. You don’t even need to set anything up or do anything special – the texture is all already there! From mud and dirt and soil, to sand and pebbles and sea foam, the more time you spend outside with the kids, the more ‘sensory items’ they come into contact with. And often enough, totally for free too. 

Of course, you’ll want to keep a close eye on them when you’re out and about, and ensure they’re not getting their hands into anything disgusting. Otherwise though, let them explore, let them figure out what things feel like and if they enjoy that or not, and simply spend time just existing in the moment. 

Outside Activities are Great for Building Motor Skills

No matter what you and the kids get up to, they’re going to be building motor skills of some kind. Whether they’re learning how to stay stable on a bike, or they’re honing their hand eye coordination with a game of baseball or rounders, they’re learning essential precision skills for later on in life. 

The same goes for any manual, hands-on labor you may get up to – and yes, the kids can find that fun too! Using a trowel helps them to develop strong gripping skills, if they’re on the younger side, and older kids will learn all about how to determine strength and tension when using such tools. 

Depending on their age, you may even let them have a go at handling the edger you use to trim the lawn or the plant beds; just make sure you hold onto it with them and guide them back and forth. It can be fun, but safety first! 

There’s a Lot to Do!

Outdoor activities aren’t just playing sports and running around. There’s plenty that can be done when you’ve got the whole natural world at your fingertips! As such, kids aren’t very likely to get bored when they’re given free reign of the garden or the local park.

After all, they also get involved with activities like bug hunting or a scavenger hunt, or perfecting their rock climbing abilities, or they just help out with a bit of potting and gardening. 

You could also get them to pitch in for BBQs, and show them how to use a grill for the first time. Then, get the paddling pool and/or the soft play equipment out and use the backyard to make a big outdoor fort. There’s a lot to do, and by the time the sun sets, the kids won’t be anywhere near finished doing it all. 

They’ll Be Tired Enough for Bedtime

The more time spent on their feet, running around, rolling down banks, and even roughhousing of some kind, the more they’ll burn through their energy. And as you well know, kids tend to have a lot of that! 

But with a couple more hours of outdoor playtime in the schedule, usually around once or twice a week, their energy levels will naturally dip and adjust, and that’ll make bedtime more manageable. If your child finds it difficult to stay in bed, fall asleep, or ‘switch their brain off’, this is a great way to help them. A comfortable, peaceful bedtime is essential for all!

Kids of all needs benefit from being outside. Reasons like these can remind you time and time again just how powerful some fun in the sun really can be!