What Are The Benefits Of Outdoor Games In Children?

Children grow faster between ages 3 and 12 than at any other time in their lives. Their overall health, confidence, physical competence, problem-solving abilities and concentration are all affected by opportunities to play outdoors, according to researchers K. Miller, M. S. Rivkin, R. C. Moore and H. H. Wong. Rivkin states the case for outdoor play in "The Great Outdoors: Restoring Children's Right to Play Outside," and recommends specific outdoor activities in "Outdoor Experiences for Young Children."

Overall Health

Playing outdoor games helps ensure that children get enough vitamin D. Vitamin D protects against depression, seasonal affective disorder (SAD), diabetes Type 1 and 2, heart disease and hypertension, learning and behavior disorders, obesity and rickets. More time outdoors is especially important for black and Hispanic children, "because darker skin acts like a natural sunscreen. The ability to make vitamin D is reduced from 80 to 99 percent in darker skin," says Dr. Michael Holick, director of General Clinical Research at Boston University Medical Center. Dr. Conrad Cole, an assistant professor of pediatrics at Emory University in Atlanta, found that 22 percent of the 290 Hispanic and black children who participated in a 2010 study had low levels of vitamin D-3, and 74 percent had lower levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D.

Confidence

Every time a child attempts an activity for the first time, he is taking a risk. Children develop confidence when they take moderate risks while playing games. Playing games involves risk of injury or ridicule, but "the willingness to engage in some risky activities provides opportunities to learn new skills, try new behaviors and ... test the limits of their physical, intellectual and social development," state Macquarie University researchers Helen Little and Shirley Wyver.

Listening Skills

Children need to know the rules and follow directions to play games. Children have to pay attention to coaches, fellow players and referees to adjust their responses as the game progresses. A coach might tell a child to cover a different part of the field, hand a ball to a stronger player or take the initiative to make a successful play. They need to know when a fellow player is ready to receive a pass or needs assistance to make it past opposing players.

Body Mechanics and Coordination

Body mechanics involves both how the body is held and where the player needs to be to complete a play. A player whose eye is only on the ball may miss the opposing player's advance from the side, resulting in a turnover. Players who are not looking at the coach may miss a signal to bunt, run or stay put. Players who hold a racket incorrectly may injure an elbow. Practicing with the correct stance and hold increases successful plays.

Negotiation

Children who play outdoor games negotiate who goes first, what the rules of play might be, what constitutes a winning play and the rules of fair play. Learning to state a problem, consult texts and experts for information and compromise provides children with practice for the adult world.