Getting Preschoolers Outside
Many parents and educators believe that for a preschool class, the real learning happens inside a classroom, and that outdoor time simply gives kids an opportunity to run off some of their energy. However, preschoolers learn very important skills when they're playing outside, and the things they learn outside are just as important as the things they learn inside.
Appropriate Times to Be Silly
Being outside does give kids a chance to run off their energy, but if they're allowed to be silly and energetic in a safe way, they're learning an important lesson as well. That lesson is that there are appropriate places to behave certain ways. Using loud voices, running and jumping are all perfectly appropriate outside, but they aren't appropriate inside. This is an life lesson that will follow a child all the way to the board room.
Negotiating
In an outdoor environment that is less structured than a classroom, kids are left to work out problems on their own and negotiate with each other to find solutions that all parties can live with. Maybe it's about taking turns on the slide or figuring out how to share a coveted ball. Unstructured time gives kids the chance to work out problems together in an environment where a trusted caregiver can step in if negotiations go awry.
Perseverance
When a preschool class plays outside, the kids learn that physical perseverance often results in success. Maybe a child is working on his balance in order to walk across a fallen log or working on his arm strength to climb a rope. If kids are given the opportunity to work on a physical activity until they successfully reach their goal, they'll learn a lot about their own capabilities and the importance of practice.
Applying Concepts
Kids often take the skills or concepts they learned inside and bring them outside to reinforce those skills and concepts through play. Maybe a child learning about dinosaurs inside will become a sandbox paleontologist. Perhaps a child learning about weather will stare up at the clouds and watch the wind blow them across the sky. A child learning about writing might draw shapes, letters or simple marks in the dirt. Kids exploring skills and concepts outside through play make them their own.
Planning Skills
To an untrained eye, a preschool class playing outside might look chaotic, but the games the kids are playing actually require quite a bit of planning. If they're playing a chase game, they have to decide who will be the monster and who will be the monster hunter. If they're playing in the sand with small figures, they have to plan what the figures will do and how they will interact before the game can begin. Making a plan and following through is an important skill kids will use throughout their lives.
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