The Great Outdoors

This discussion is your opportunity to explore the value of play in an outdoor setting as it relates to child growth and development. Evidence suggests that with the proliferation of portable handheld and web-enabled devices, such as tablets or smartphones, many young children are no longer spending as much time outside engaged in physical activity. Instead, we might argue that today many youth are self-consumed and are spending more time in front of a screen and in relative isolation. From obesity to poor social skills, indoor play is arguably taking its toll on children. However, we know that physical outdoor play activities, such as gardening and riding bikes, has many positive benefits for overall physical and mental health. This discussion will help you shape your personal framework regarding outdoor play for the Week Five Final Paper. To prepare for this discussion, review this week’s Instructor Guidance and required resources.

Initial Post: Create an initial post in which you:

• Discuss three positive aspects of outdoor play. Support your post with the course text.
• Explain how you will implement and encourage outdoor play into your own work with children. Describe an activity or strategy that you will utilize or engage in with your students.
• Describe why you would implement outdoor activities as a way to decrease childhood issues such as obesity, social isolation, depression, hyperactivity, etc. Utilize the course text to support your ideas. How will understanding outdoor activities contribute to your personal framework for engaging with children?