Outdoor settings provide lots of varied sensory input — uneven ground, different textures, wind, water and climbing. These help with sensory integration in ways that many indoor or clinical settings can’t replicate.

Moving around outdoors provides feedback to the body about spatial orientation and movement that supports balance, coordination, and postural control. Outdoor play also gives children space and opportunity to use large muscle groups for climbing, running and navigating obstacles, which helps motor planning and coordination.

Because outdoor settings can allow for more movement and offer a more varied sensory load, as humans we experience increased attention spans, decreased anxiety and better emotional regulation when engaged in regular outdoor play.

Lastly, getting enough sunshine is one of the most natural and effective ways to maintain healthy vitamin D levels which supports bone strength and growth, boosts immunity, improved mood and mental wellbeing and may help with disease prevention especially when it comes to the big ones like heart disease, diabetes and autoimmune conditions.