6: Is Outdoor Play Associated With Better Motor Skills?
Do you think outdoor play is associated with better motor skills?
It may SEEM like a no-brainer, but often research is needed to prove something known by therapists for a long time!
This article needed more than a 2 minute takeaway- so I'm doing a whole episode to break it down.
The study examined the relationship between childhood outdoor play and motor skills in 2-7 year old children in the country of Finland. In this episode, I discuss the findings (one of them is rather perplexing) and suggest ways we can apply this research to our work as nature-based therapists.
We’ll discuss:
- The purpose, study design, and measurement tools used in this study of over 1000 children in Finland.
- The differences in outdoor play among children living in metropolitan vs. rural areas
- Surprising correlations found in the research
- Takeaways from this study you can use in your own practice
Resources from this episode:
Is Outdoor Play Associated With Better Motor Skills?
If you're ready to take the next step in this adventure, join our free Therapy in the Great Outdoors Community at therapyinthegreatoutdoors.com. The TGO community is a private space just for nature-based pediatric practitioners. We have loads of resources there to support you as you start or grow a nature-based practice or program.
Are you a pediatric therapist interested in taking your work with children out into nature? The ConTiGO Approach Online Course opens for enrollment every few months: visit www.contigoapproach.com to join the waitlist.
