August 8th, 2016
Call it one of the many perils of modern life – a large number of children today, especially those in urban areas, spend far more time indoors in front of a screen than playing outside. While screen time has its place in modern life, especially for education and entertainment, too much of it can have serious consequences. Which is why the benefits of outdoor play are more important than ever.
Research has shown that extended screen time—especially gaming—can impair brain structure and function. It affects everything from academic performance to emotional regulation and social development. Meanwhile, something as simple and natural as outdoor play can be a powerful antidote.
Fortunately, there's a natural remedy already, outdoor play!
A Troubling Trend: Screen Time vs. Active Time
According to the infographic, "Are Your Young Ones Proactive?" below:
- Only 1 in 3 children are active outdoors every day.
- Children now spend more than 7 hours a day in front of screens.
- 74% of UK children do not meet the government's daily physical activity recommendations.
- 81% of children aged 8-18 have played console video games.
- On average, children spend just 53 minutes outdoors per day.
This growing divide between indoor screen use and active outdoor time is creating concerns for parents, educators, and health professionals alike.
What Happens with Too Much Screen Time?
While technology can support learning and creativity, excessive screen time is linked to a number of concerning physical and cognitive effects:
- Gray matter atrophy: Overuse of screens can lead to structural shrinkage in the brain's frontal lobe, which controls decision making and impulse control.
- Compromised white matter: This interferes with how different brain regions communicate, potentially slowing learning and information processesing.
- Reduced cortical thickness: This can impact focus and higher level thinking.
- Impaired dopamine function: Gaming can overstimulate the brain's reward system, reducing natural motivation and increasing cravings.
These impacts can begin in childhood and extend into adolescence and adulthood, affecting academic, mental health, and relationships.
The Benefits of Outdoor Play
Unlike screen time, which often encourages passivity, outdoor play offers a variety of developmental, physical, and emotional benefits for children.
1. Boosts Physical Health
Outdoor play promotes full-body movement—running, jumping, climbing, and balancing. This builds muscle strength, enhances motor coordination, and supports cardiovascular health. Children who are regularly active outdoors are less likely to become overweight and more likely to maintain lifelong habits of movement.
Outdoor exposure also boosts vitamin D levels through sunlight, which strengthens bones and supports immune system function.
2. Improves Mental and Emotional Well-Being
Spending time outside has a naturally calming effect. Nature helps reduce cortisol levels, relieving stress and anxiety. In fact, time spent outdoors has been shown to improve mood and attention spans, especially in children with ADHD.
Green spaces offer mental “breathing room,” giving children the ability to reset emotionally after overstimulating experiences with screens or structured indoor environments.
3. Enhances Cognitive Function
Unlike passive screen viewing, outdoor play encourages curiosity, imagination, and active problem-solving. Whether it’s building a fort, figuring out how to climb a tree, or inventing a new game, these experiences sharpen executive function skills like planning, working memory, and flexible thinking.
The natural unpredictability of outdoor environments also helps children develop risk assessment and decision-making abilities.
4. Builds Social Skills
Children build critical social skills through unstructured outdoor play. They learn to communicate, cooperate, resolve conflicts, and negotiate roles in games. These interactions are essential to developing emotional intelligence, empathy, and confidence.
Playgrounds, parks, and backyards serve as social laboratories where kids experiment with leadership, teamwork, and independence.
5. Fosters Independence and Resilience
Outdoor play offers new challenges, from navigating monkey bars to climbing ropes or racing friends across the playground. These experiences teach children to test their limits, overcome fear, and build confidence, all essential ingredients in developing independence and resilience.
6. Better Sleep
Exposure to natural light helps regulate a child's circadian rhythms, making it easier for them to fall asleep and stay asleep. The physical activity from outdoor play also helps expend energy that might otherwise lead to restlessness at night.
It's also Just Fun!
Sometimes we forget that one of the simplest benefits of outdoor play: kids love it! Whether it's racing bikes, climbing on monkey bars, playing tag, or inventing new games, outdoor play brings joy and freedom. The infographic even points out that outdoor play supports kids with ADHD, who often benefit from movement based, unstructured time.
Fun isn't just a bonus, it's how children learn. Play fuels development across all domains, from physical to emotional, to cognitive.
Replacing Screen Time with Play Time
Reducing screen time doesn't mean eliminating technology altogether, but rather creating balance. Here are some ideas from the infographic to get kids engaged outdoors:
- Pretend sword fighting for the imaginative adventurer
- Rope or gym climbing for developing strength and balance
- Swinging, trapeze, and monkey bars to improve coordination
- Outdoor games like tag, hopscotch, or scavenger hunts
- Biking, hiking or nature walks as family activities
Encouraging regular outdoor play doesn't require expensive equipment, just time, space, and a little creativity.
A Note to Parents and Educators
If you're concerned about your child's development, don't underestimate the benefits of outdoor play. It not only keeps them physically fit but also helps them grow into well rounded individuals. You can support this by:
- Setting screen time limits
- Creating safe, accessible outdoor environments
- Scheduling regular family outings
- Leading by example with your own outdoor habits
The Bottom Line
Outdoor play is more than just fun, it's foundational. In contrast to the cognitive and emotional downsides of excessive screen time, outdoor pay supports every aspect of a child's development. As we work to raise healthier, happier kids, the solution might be as simple as opening the back door and letting them explore, imagine and move.
Whether it's swinging from a tree, biking down a trail, or climbing a jungle gym, outdoor play helps children thrive, and that's a benefit no screen can replicate.
At Noah's Park & Playgrounds, we believe in the benefits of outdoor play to shape healthier, happier kids. That's why we're dedicated to designing high quality, imaginative and inclusive playground equipment that encourages outdoor activity and supports every stage of child development. Whether you're planning a schoolyard, church playground, or community park, our team can help you create a fun, safe, and engaging space where kids can explore, connect, and thrive, reaping all the lifelong benefits of outdoor play!
