Outdoor play activities 'develop problem solving skills'
14/07/2010 Children who take part in indoor and outdoor play activities as a group will get to learn about social negotiating and problem solving skills, according to one expert.
Jane Perry, an early childhood researcher who recently retired from the University California, Berkley, believes that in the outdoors children get the chance to "explore without restrictions", UC Berkeley News reports.
Ms Perry said: "The outdoors gives children the space to express their growing bodies, mind, intellect and imagination. All aspects of development can occur outdoors when the outdoors is safe."
According to the expert, teachers should also try to see themselves as researchers and make the effort to analyse a child's strengths and weaknesses.
Writing for the Independent recently, Sue Palmer, a former head teacher and the author of Toxic Childhood, highlighted that children could be better served by taking part in outdoor play activities than learning to read at a very early age.
Ms Palmer suggested that through outdoor play activities children can "develop the physical control and coordination they'll need for writing".
Jane Perry, an early childhood researcher who recently retired from the University California, Berkley, believes that in the outdoors children get the chance to "explore without restrictions", UC Berkeley News reports.
Ms Perry said: "The outdoors gives children the space to express their growing bodies, mind, intellect and imagination. All aspects of development can occur outdoors when the outdoors is safe."
According to the expert, teachers should also try to see themselves as researchers and make the effort to analyse a child's strengths and weaknesses.
Writing for the Independent recently, Sue Palmer, a former head teacher and the author of Toxic Childhood, highlighted that children could be better served by taking part in outdoor play activities than learning to read at a very early age.
Ms Palmer suggested that through outdoor play activities children can "develop the physical control and coordination they'll need for writing".
