It is Motor Skills Week once again. And it is much needed, because we all spend far too much time sitting. Unfortunately, this already starts at a young age. Children spend many hours sitting at their desks in primary school and play outside much less than they used to. As a result, their motor skills have declined significantly in recent years. IVN Nature Education therefore advocates active outdoor lessons and physical education in nature. This offers unique opportunities for children's development.
Research shows that physical activity in a green environment in particular has all kinds of positive effects. It is good for motor skills, but also for concentration, self-control and emotional resilience. Nevertheless, in our country, only a few school classes still go into nature as part of physical education.
It is already happening in Norway
In other countries, such as Norway, outdoor activities are an integral part of physical education. And this is essential for children's healthy development. Nature challenges them to be more active, and children play in more varied ways in nature. Climbing a tree, for example, is already very different from climbing on a climbing frame. In addition, nature is calming and therefore provides a low-stimulus environment for the brain. Research shows that children who spend a great deal of time in nature are less likely to experience psychological problems.
In short, taking the school class into nature offers all kinds of benefits: more physical activity and better motor development, greater concentration and consequently improved school performance, and stronger social-emotional functioning. So there are plenty of reasons to take children into nature.
It is therefore high time that we in the Netherlands find creative solutions to make nature part of physical education.
Photo: IVN Nature Education.