From seaside fun and boat trips to garden and sensory play, you’ve been extremely busy this summer holiday keeping children entertained, engaged and stimulated.
Our summer 2018 Facebook album is getting bigger and bigger, showcasing all of your summer holiday trips, activities and crafts. To add your photos, click here and upload them into the comments section at the bottom; we’ll then add them to the album.
Plenty of your photos are themed around having fun outdoors. Playing outside and investigating the natural world have plenty of benefits for children and young people, particularly since time spent on screens is rising considerably.
Many studies suggest that reduced time playing outside can significantly negatively impact health, wellbeing and development. This is something we’re passionate about at Thrive, with plenty of Thrive rooms making use of outdoor space.
There are countless benefits of spending time outside, these include:
Health
Children and young people tend to be more active when outside, given the amount of space and potential for exploration. This supports children’s fitness and general health. A better standard of mental health can also be encouraged, helping to nurture wellbeing.
To find out more about the health benefits of outdoor play, click here.
Creativity
Playing outdoors can help children to think more creatively. Without as many constraints, they are able to exercise their imaginations further. Children are able to adapt objects around them to feed into play, resulting in a sense of freedom that is much harder to generate indoors.
Social skills
Outdoor spaces are usually less crowded and are arranged with far less structure and organisation. As such, some children find this less intimidating, finding the confidence to naturally come out of their shells, approach other children and join in. It is thought that children will also be more likely to talk to different children and make new friends, as the space inherently encourages freedom – often independent of direct adult intervention.
To read more about the benefits of outdoor play, click here.
Here is a small selection of the wealth of photos you have sent in depicting your outdoor experiences this summer. Thank you to everyone who has contributed so far!
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