Outdoor Play IS A Learning Tool

Encouraging adventurous outside play is a valuable learning tool for kids. Sadly, I feel this generation has been cheated this rite of passage. As a child, I lived outside. I was the “head home when the street lights came on” kid. When I become a mom, I made a conscious effort to allow my children to enjoy their childhood. I would NOT be a “helicopter mom.” In fact, my four children were raised with the “Life Lesson” theory. I will confess this is a “Nancy” original. But, I do believe it taught my kids to consider THEIR actions, and what MY response would be to that action. A “Life Lesson” was my parenting tool. I was not the mom that rushed to their aid for every little accident. If they got harmed (obviously within reason) doing an action, they KNEW was not allowed, they would simply have to “shake it off.” The lesson here was to teach them to THINK first and ACT second. Raising them this way did not cause massive harm, in fact, in twenty-three years of parenting; we have had only one broken arm and two broken noses.

Outdoor play can equip kids with skills, lessons, and knowledge that will last them a lifetime! Children MUST be able to reason out multiple steps to reaching a final product. Of course, this learning process will always be changing as they get older. I want to show you how a simple idea can spark hours of “learning play” for your crew!

Building a fort is something all kids will do at some point. You could push them a little further and suggest a moat! For a great fort, they will have to do some paper/computer designing. Once on paper, the vision will move into the building stage. Here they practice thinking, time management and reasoning skill. What steps will be followed? What supplies are needed? What is the best backyard location? Your job as a parent is to direct that creative bug. While you should ALWAYS be keeping a watchful eye on your children, it is perfectly fine, to do so, as you enjoy a good book!

Encourage responsibility with a set of tools. Add a lesson in device safety and the correct way to use different tools. Once construction begins, they immediately realize that for a wall to withstand the wind, a two-sided structure is best. Older children could even venture into the cropping down of their own lumber. Here they learn to tie off the tree, or they could fall the wrong way. When the fort is complete, they then move right into digging out the moat.  As they begin to remove the grass and dig into the earth, right away they encounter tree roots and at what level water can be sprung from the ground. With the exposed dirt, critters are found. Soon, someone reasons that with a fishing pole and some ham as bait, crawfish can be caught. Now, an entirely new adventure begins. Once they have built fishing poles out of whittled sticks and string, where will they cook them? So, yet another adventure begins. They make a cart out of trees, woods, and nails to haul the old 45 pound Chiminea out of the garage so they can build a fire! I could go on and on! In each of these adventures, they are creatively learning, thinking, and growing.

Embracing “play” is essential to childhood. How YOU play a role into that learning step is also valuable! Yes, there are dangers. Someone could fall out of a tree, trip into the 3-foot moat, or be bitten by a crawfish. Or, nothing could happen. I choose to experience the latter! Our children have a lifetime to worry!  So, for the few formative years where they are fearless and not afraid yet to fail, keep the kool-aid pouring and the first-aid kit filled. The worst thing that could happen is they will create incredible adventures to tell their children.

Nancy Fileccia is co-owner of A Journey through Learning with her best friend, Paula Winget. She is a 16-year homeschool veteran. Check out A Journey Through Learning at www.ajourneythroughlearning.com for all of your Lapbooking needs.

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