Summer is the perfect time to encourage outdoor play, offering children the chance to be active, explore and enjoy longer days in the fresh air!
Outdoor play in summer has a variety of benefits for early years children. Spending time outside supports physical health through natural movement and exercise, while also boosting overall wellbeing. It can help reduce screen time, encourage creativity and build social skills through group games and activities. Just as importantly, outdoor play gives children the freedom to explore their surroundings and enjoy the simple joys of being active in a natural environment.
While outdoor play in the sunshine is fun and enjoyable, it’s important to prepare for summer weather to ensure a safe and positive play experience. Take a look at our top tips for making the most of outdoor play safely this summer.
Outdoor Play Ideas
When the weather is warm, it’s a great chance to enjoy water-based play and stay cool while having fun outdoors. Activities including paddling pools, sprinklers, water balloons, or simple splash games can help children stay cool while remaining active. Water play is also a fantastic way to encourage movement, imagination and social interaction, all while helping to prevent overheating during hotter days.
Our Newby Leisure Water Play Chutes are the ideal addition to any EYFS setting, bringing endless opportunities for engaging and refreshing outdoor water play!
Getting outdoors is also a great opportunity to embrace messy, creative play, such as painting and other hands-on arts and crafts activities. Simple activities like painting, chalk drawing or collage making encourage imagination, sensory exploration and fine motor skills, all while enjoying the fresh air and warmer weather. Messy and creative play also supports problem-solving skills, builds confidence and allows children to express themselves in a creative way, making it a valuable part of early years development. It can also help improve focus and concentration, as children become fully engaged in experimenting and discovering new ways of getting creative.
To fully immerse in painting and arts this summer, our Newby Leisure Painting Window is the perfect, easy to clean resource for doodling and enjoying messy outdoor fun throughout the warmer seasons!
With a little planning and the right activities, outdoor spaces can become exciting environments for learning, discovery and play throughout the summer months. Whatever the activity, the key is to encourage active, safe and enjoyable play that helps children make lasting memories outdoors.
