Playing outside in nature is good for motor skills, concentration and health, as scientific research has shown. Nevertheless, outdoor play is in sharp decline. In winter, children spend an average of just eight hours a week playing outside. That is half as much as during the summer months. In addition, there is a sizeable group—around 1 in 6 children—that never plays outside (Kantar Public research commissioned by Jantje Beton).
To counterbalance children’s extensive screen time and time spent indoors, IVN Nature Education and Humankind joined forces several years ago and developed the ‘In the Heart of Winter’ campaign, a programme packed with winter activities and outdoor games for all daycare centres and out-of-school care facilities in the Netherlands. This way, children discover at an early age that there is nothing better than playing outside.
Cold and wet
“Going outside in winter is an extra challenge. It is cold and wet, which raises the threshold. But of course, it is very healthy,” explains Marijke Koekkoek, Humankind’s Manager of Pedagogy and Quality, about the programme. “That is why activities have been chosen that everyone enjoys, such as playing with the wind, painting in the snow, cooking winter dishes and telling stories around a campfire. The message is: going outside is fun.”
Marc Veekamp, project manager for childcare at IVN Nature Education, fully agrees. “It is a sad observation that children are unfortunately spending more and more time indoors, often behind a screen, while playing outside is so beneficial to their development. For a healthy future for our children, it is important that attention is paid to this.”
The ‘In the Heart of Winter’ outdoor play programme lasts three weeks.