Playing outside in nature is educational and beneficial for motor skills, health, and concentration. Nevertheless, outdoor play is in steep decline. One in six children never plays outside at all (Kantar Public research commissioned by Jantje Beton), and during the cold winter months, media use—such as increasing screen time—is a reason not to go outside. Two in five children play outside for less than an hour a day.
IVN and Humankind join forces once again
For this reason, IVN Nature Education and Humankind have joined forces and developed the ‘Heart of Winter’ outdoor play program. This program, packed with winter activities and outdoor games, was launched last year and is once again being offered free of charge to all childcare centers and out-of-school care facilities in the Netherlands and beyond, so that all children in childcare can benefit from it.
Marijke Koekkoek, Humankind’s manager of Pedagogy and Quality: "Exercise and awareness of nature are firmly rooted in our pedagogy. With Heart of Winter, we encourage children to discover the joy of being outside through play. That is an investment in life. It may be warm indoors, but things happen outside!"
The ‘Heart of Winter’ outdoor play program runs from Monday, January 9 through Friday, January 27, 2023.