Primary pupils love to play outside and doing so benefits them in many ways. It improves health, wellbeing and even helps them do better in the classroom. It also encourages the development of the key personal and social skills which they will need throughout their lives. The children, of course, won’t be too interested in any of this: for them, playing out is all about fun, excitement and moments of pure joy. However, with little opportunity to play out at home, primary schools that provide children with a well-equipped playground are laying the foundations for a brighter future for their pupils. Here’s why.

Long-term health benefits

The rise in obesity and type 2 diabetes among primary pupils is a key indicator of the decline in physical activity undertaken by children in today’s society. By providing the time, space and equipment to participate in physical activity in the playground, schools can help them become healthier. They will burn calories, improve fitness, become stronger and benefit from all the good things that come from these. What’s more, when these opportunities are provided at an early age, it increases the chances that children will maintain healthy lifestyles into adulthood.

Encouraging children to become active in the playground can be done in many ways. Simply giving them space to run is a good start, but you can incentivise them even more by adding playground markings for games like football or netball or which get them to jump and hop. Climbing equipment is also great for getting kids active and there is a wide range available to suit pupils from nursery to year 6. Another way is to install an outdoor stage, play some music and get the children dancing. If it gets them moving, it is good for their health.

Contributes to mental wellbeing

Mental health is a major issue for the UK and those with mental disorders often have issues that have wide-ranging consequences. According to the latest NHS study, 12.2% of boys and 6.6% of girls aged between 5 and 10 suffer from a mental health disorder. Indeed, over 5% of pupils start school with a disorder and the numbers increase throughout primary and secondary education.

While outdoor play is not a panacea for mental health, it does have benefits. The Mental Health Foundation states that taking part in low-intensity, aerobic exercise for around 30 minutes a day is the best way to increase positive moods in primary aged children. This can help those with depression and anxiety cope with their disorder while preventing others from developing it.

The Daily Mile initiative, which encourages pupils to run, jog or walk for a mile each day is an excellent way to contribute to mental wellbeing. For schools that lack the space, then playground markings can offer the chance to take part in other aerobic activities.

Outdoor play leads to better learning

Outdoor play benefits learning in several ways. Simply having a break from the classroom and doing something fun can recharge the learning batteries and bring flagging concentration levels back to full steam. Doing something active during free time also gets the blood circulating, boosting brain power – a fact backed up by a University of British Columbia study which found regular aerobic exercise increases the size of the hippocampus, the part of the brain involved in learning.

What’s more, playing outdoors enables children to develop many of the transferable skills essential for learning, like resilience, problem-solving, collaboration and concentration. Equipment such as Trim Trails obstacle courses, which offer both physical and cognitive challenges, are ideal for developing these skills and are also tremendous fun to play on.

Outdoor play can also improve classroom behaviour, with research showing that participation in physical activities helps children to stay on task and be better behaved. That’s good news for the teacher as well as the children.

The sociable child

The complex skills of social interaction take a while to master and primary pupils need plenty of opportunities to practice them. This is difficult to achieve in a classroom where time is directed and the rules of engagement are imposed on them. In the playground, there is scope for wider interaction and more freedom to make mistakes.

Taking part in playground activities enables children to learn important social skills, like negotiating, accepting group decisions and taking turns, while also helping them to become more effective communicators. Over time, they will need to make friends, ask for help and resolve disputes, fine-tuning their interactions with skills like tact, empathy and assertiveness.

Playground equipment that invites children to play together, whether for sport, games, roleplay or in creative pursuits is vital so that these important social skills can be honed.

Conclusion

Outdoor play is vital for primary pupils, giving them opportunities to improve physical health and mental wellbeing and to learn and interact better. Given the time, space and the right equipment at this stage in their development can have long-lasting benefits.

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