Outdoor Play: Games & Benefits with 100+ Kid Bloggers' Hop

Groovy Soaker Water Balloons fit easily under a spout for filling.

Learning to play outdoor games uses creativity, imagination, cooperation, and brain power by making up new games and participating in sports and games that have been around for decades. Playing outside games can teach a child social skills while releasing stress and forming friendships. Young children learn by using their five senses and movement. So much more can be experienced through the senses when outdoors while expanding a child's imagination. Even short periods in the natural world improve a child's mood and appreciation for our earth.
 


WATER BALLOONS
Do you want to make the water balloons last longer? Here's how:

• Give each child their own bucket of balloons. Then they don't feel the need to hurry and toss them so they can have more balloons.
• Have a towel toss. Larger balloons are good for this toss. The children grab ends of a towel and try to toss balloons without breaking them.
• Have a relay race using the balloons.

Learning Croquet teaches children how to follow directions.

HOW CHILDREN BENEFIT FROM PLAYING OUTSIDE

• Playing outside develops strong bones, helps prevent obesity, works muscles, and improves mood by producing endorphins (the feel good hormone) with prolonged physical activity.
• Humans need sunlight. Many people are vitamin D deficient and don’t even know it. If you are worried about skin cancer then remember sunscreen, hats, long sleeves and pants.
• Playing outside strengthens the immune system. When children play in dirt or touch bugs, they are building up their immune system naturally to things in our environment.
• People are social. We crave friendships for support, learning, and experiencing closeness to others.
• Children are curious about everything. They learn by exploring and discovering using their five senses. They need opportunities to smell, touch, taste, see and hear different things in our environment including the dirty/messy stuff such as water puddles, rain, snow, and mud.
• Peace and quiet will be appreciated. Have children listen for sounds in the stillness: Birds, crickets, wind, rustling leaves, feet splashing in water, or just enjoy the quietness of nature with no commercials bombarding your mind.
• We are part of nature and playing outside develops an appreciation of our earth and the creatures inhabiting it.
• Childhood memories will be built from making neighborhood friends which creates a sense of community and belonging.

Playing in nature releases stress and promotes creatively.

For many outdoor games, activities and ideas, see Back to the Basics: Play Outside.

This post is part of 100 Days of Play brought to you by the following Kid Bloggers:

SunScholars . Frogs, Snails & Puppy Dog Tails . Playful Learners . Train Up a Child . Fantastic Fun & Learning . Scribble, Doodle & Draw . Learn. Create. Love. . Mom to 2 Posh Lil Divas . Nothing if Not Intentional . My Little 3 & Me . Buggy & Buddy . Sun Hats & Wellie Boots . Twodaloo . True Aim . The Educators' Spin On It . Blog Me Mom . Life At The Zoo . Putti's World . Kitchen Counter Chronicles . Triple T Mum . Busy Kids Happy Mom . Crystal's Tiny Treasures . Rainy Day Mum . Momma's Fun World . My Little Bookcase . Craftulate . One Perfect Day . MumCentral . Artchoo! . Creative World Of Varya . Simple. Home. Blessings. . JDaniel4's Mom . NurtureStore . Me & Marie Learning . Child Central Station . Mamas Like Me . Mama Miss . Making Boys Men . Powerful Mothering . Craft to Art . 3 Dinosaurs . Domestic Goddesque . Lessons Learnt Journal . Royal Baloo . Smiling Like Sunshine . Adventures at Home with Mum. B-Inspired Mama . PragmaticMom . Eazy Peazy Mealz . Gluesticks . TheBoy&Me . Learning is Messy . My Nearest & Dearest . Growing Book by Book . How to Run a Home Daycare . Here Come the Girls . Think Magnet . Dandelions Picked . 123 Homeschool 4 Me . Our Ordinary Life . Parenting with Professor Poppins . 2 Little Hooligans . Fun-a-Day! . The Non-Martha Mamma . Angelique Felix . My Very Educated Mother . Creative Playhouse . Go Explore Nature . Zing Zing Tree . Sense of Wonder . Childhood 101 .Crayon Freckles . KZ & Me . Serenity You . This Mumma's Life . Leapfrog & Ladybugs . Blue Bear Wood .Growing Together . KC EDventures . Mommy Lessons 101 . Nature & Play . Like Mama Like Daughter .Mums Make Lists . From Wine to Whine . Messy Kids . Babble Dabble Do . Sugar Aunts . Teaching @ Home. Preschool Powol Packets . Clothed in Love . Curiosity Creates . The Magnolia Barn . Strong Start . Stay-at-Home Mom Survival Guide . Learn with Play at Home . Mummy... Mummy... MUM! . Science Sparks. Toddler Approved . Thrive 360 Living . Rockabye Butterfly . Mud Hut Mama . Coffee Cups & Crayons .Playing with Words 365 . My Lil Love Bugs . Creative Connections for Kids . LalyMom . Love, Play, Learn .Kindergarten & Preschool for Parents & Teachers . The Pleasantest Thing . Teach Beside Me

Would you like a glimpse into Kindergarten? See Kindergarten: Tattle-Tales, Tools, Tactics, Triumphs and Tasty Treats for Teachers and Parents. Would you like activities to help prepare your preschooler for Kindergarten? Read a mom's dilemmas with a teacher's advice and child development explanations in The Happy Mommy Handbook: The Ultimate How-to Guide on Keeping Your Toddlers and Preschoolers Busy, Out of Trouble and Motivated to Learn. Both are bestsellers and also available on Barnes & Noble and Kobo. The eBooks are only $3.99.

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