Playgrounds are to remain open! At Timotay we completely support this decision, so that we can keep our children active, healthy, and enjoying outdoor spaces!
Outside natural play can take many forms, whether that is a nature walk, visiting a park or activities in a natural outdoor playground or play space.
- Supports children’s development – children can explore and engage with the natural environment around them, they will see direst hand changes such as weather changes, wildlife changes, nature, and seasonal changes. The outside environment will allow them to discover new smells, sights, and nature, including trees, plants, inspects and bugs
- Fit and Healthy – being outside and active have a positive effect and impact. It keeps children fit, healthy and active
- Greater/different opportunities– being outdoors allows for opportunities to do things differently, and often on a larger scale.
- Freedom to make their own choices – being outdoors provides children with the freedom to make their own choices about being active and further develop their physical skills. Children will be able to choose their own activity, whether that it to run, skip, catch, role play or climb
A study conducted by the Natural Resources Institute in Finland (Luke) shows for the first time too much hygiene, an urban lifestyle, and a lack of connecting with nature reduces diversity in the organ system’s microbes which lower immunity in children.
Scientists found the children who played outside five times a week during the one-month study increased microbial diversity in children’s skin. There were also changes in blood counts which strengthen the skin’s immune defence and increased immunity to help fight diseases such as atopy, diabetes, coeliac disease and allergies
Ms Sinkkonen added: “We should modify our daily life so we can be in contact with nature. It would be best if children could play in puddles and everyone could dig organic soil. We could take our children out to nature five times a week to have an impact on microbes.”
At Timotay we are proud to have promoted outdoor learning and children having the freedom to access amazing outdoor spaces for 30 years, and how spending time in nature and getting children outdoors daily and engaging in natural play, and we completely support the government’s approach with keeping playgrounds open during this next lockdown.
