Leaving the house with your baby or toddler can sometimes feel overwhelmingly challenging but taking them out into nature can have big benefits for both your child and you!
Benefits include:
Sensory experiences – being outdoors provides endless opportunities for your baby or toddler to use their senses to explore the world around them. Natural environments encourage young explorers to touch, look, hear, smell and even taste (when safe) the world that they are a part of. Going barefoot can also enhance these sensory experiences.
Cognitive development – all these sensory experiences create lots of opportunity for cognitive development, there are endless opportunities to learn outside.
Emotional regulation – Emotions can feel more manageable in an open outdoor space. Babies and toddlers (and adults too) who feel emotions deeply may find that spending time outside helps them to find their calm and allows space to process big feelings or experiences.
Connection and appreciation of our world – babies and toddlers that spend their early life exploring outside will form a deeper connection and appreciation of the natural world and hopefully build the foundations of a want to protect our earth.
Immunity boosting – spending time outside, amongst the natural environment where mud, leaves, water, trees, grass etc are ever present actually boosts your immune system. Being in contact with the good microbes that are present outside can lead to a healthy gut microbiome for babies and toddlers. A healthy gut microbiome is the foundation for a strong immune system. Spending time outside in sun light also increases our intake of vitamin D which is important for a functioning immune system.
Promotes sleep regulation – Exposure to natural light outside enhances the ability of babies and toddlers to regulate their sleep and helps regulate circadian rhythms (a.k.a the sleep-wake cycle). Sun exposure also leads to the production of melatonin, a hormone that helps induce sleep.
Promotes secure attachment - Spending time outside enjoying nature together is a wonderful way to create special social and bonding time with your baby or toddler which enhances secure attachment. Forming a positive attachment is an essential building block of the first 5 years of a child’s life and a secure attachment as a baby will have a significant positive impact later on in the child’s life.
What do you need –
There is actually very little you ‘need’ to spend time outside with your baby or toddler. Keep it simple. Just you, your child, appropriate clothing for the weather and a positive attitude can be all you need. Drinks and an endless supply of snacks are of course helpful, as is a comfortable baby/toddler carrier for longer or more adventurous walks or a suitable outdoor friendly stroller.
Your attitude matters –
Our children pick up on how we feel about situations and it is important to approach outdoor adventurers with a sense of positivity. Be realistic and expect for plans to change, clothing to get dirty or wet, accidents to happen and for your baby to poop or toddler to need the toilet at the most inconvenient times! Nature and weather can be unpredictable but learning to embrace these experiences shows children that they can overcome challenges and find the joy in the process. All outdoor adventures build resilience.
Some of the most common barriers for parents to bringing their babies and toddlers out into nature:
Parent/Carer fear of babies putting things in their mouths – leaves, mud, sand, dirt, sticks.
Fear of the weather/weather being seen as bad
Perception that you need specialist equipment
No ‘toys’, what will we play with?
Parent/Carer fear of insects and wildlife.
Going wild is an effort, getting outside with a child is an effort, getting them clean again, effort to be present, to supervise, get people to go with you all takes a lot of mental and physical energy.
Do any of these barriers resonate with you? All of these barriers are valid points, most are rooted in and come from a place of fear and anxiety and all can most definitely all be overcome.
Babies and toddlers are naturally wired to want to explore and it is developmentally normal for them to want to learn about the world by putting things into their mouths. With appropriate supervision babies and toddlers can safely explore outside, hold sticks, stones, play in mud and sand, and if (when) these go in their mouths a gentle re-direction to another activity may help or an acceptance that eating a bit of mud and sand wont hurt them and the benefit of the sensory experience is important. It is also important to note that natural resources aren’t ‘dirty’ and babies are no more likely to get ill from putting a stick or sand in their mouths then they are from putting a toy in their mouths from an indoor play centre (possibly even less likely?!).
Often sensory opportunities are seen as big risks to parents and carers – allowing babies and toddler to climb, explore, and take risks can cause anxiety for adults. Babies and toddlers however need this freedom to move – they need to use their bodies, test their limits, test their balance and develop their vestibular and proprioceptive senses. Creating a safe environment to explore with appropriate supervision can allow for young explorers to safely enjoy the freedom of movement that will positively benefit their physical, cognitive and emotional development.
The sensory opportunities that the weather brings are also often seen as risks. A parent with a lack of experience in being outdoors may not have a high level of resilience for managing changes in weather conditions – either rainy wet conditions, snow, or also very hot and sunny conditions. This anxiety or lack of resilience can easily pass onto their child and their babies and toddlers may miss out on sensory opportunities to splash in puddles, dance in the rain, make snow men or build sandcastles in the sun on the beach. The old saying is true though, there’s no such thing as bad weather, only the wrong clothing. Embracing the weather builds resilience and creates a positive life outlook that days are not measured on how good or bad the weather is. It can still be a great day if its raining!
The lack of ‘toys’ outside shouldn’t be a barrier at all, nature is such a great play ground for babies and toddlers and having a lack of instructions or prescriptive toys to play with can equal freedom to play, create, investigate and learn. Sticks, mud, water, flowers, grass and imagination are often the greatest toys.
Parents fear of insects or wildlife generally comes from a place of lack of knowledge – this is knowledge that can be learnt. Getting to know your local environment, the plants, trees, insects and animals around can be really helpful to feeling comfortable in the environment and often parents and children can learn about their environment together.
Going wild and getting babies and toddlers outside is indeed an effort sometimes, but one that is so worth making. Make outdoor plans work within the time and energy you have. Be realistic and know that a walk in the park or lying on a picnic mat on the beach can be just as wonderful and nature filled as hiking up a mountain. Have a bag of essentials (snacks) ready to go so you are always ready for adventure and accept that adventures are often messy, clothing washes though and the memories made in the process are always worth it. Finding a few like minded outdoorsy friends with babies and toddlers a similar age is really helpful as making plans with friends and outdoor playdates are wonderful ways to encourage nature play for everyone.
So take your babies and toddlers out into nature, go wild, find freedom and absorb all those free benefits for both babies, toddlers and parents/carers alike.
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