Holistic development for children means considering the whole of an individual, focusing on the development of every aspect of an induvial simultaneously not just one.
Areas of holistic development consist of:
Physical – This area concerns the development of control over one’s body. Including control over muscles and physical coordination. Physical development also includes growth (height and weight). When developmentally appropriate physical development is present it is a good indicator of general well being and success in life Physical skills include: Being physically active, understanding movement and space through practicing sensory-motor skills, developing spatial understanding and nurturing an active and healthy body.
Emotional – Emotional development concerns having an understanding of an individual’s own emotions, ability to understand how emotions affect actions and the ability to have empathy towards other. Positive emotional skills indicate high levels of resilience which in turn allows for the individual to overcome challenges and celebrate successes. Emotional skills also include ability to build self awareness, self esteem, motivation, resilience and grit.
Social – Social development of individuals concerns the ability to make and sustain friendships and relationships as well as the ability to develop an understanding of how the individual fits within the community. Being able to understand communication both verbal and non verbal and being able to deal with conflict is also an important aspect of social development. Positive social development indicts that an individual is empowered to be strong collaborators and communicators. Good social skills allow us to maintain healthy relationships by being able to show empathy, share idea and negotiate rules and boundaries.
Cognitive – Cognitive development concerns the skills needed to recognise, understand and reason, allowing individuals to make sense of what is seen, touched, heard and felt. Language development, understanding others and ability to express ideas and feelings is also an important aspect. Positive cognitive skills enable the individual to. Cognitive skills include: concentration, problem solving, working memory, flexible thinking, ability to learning to tackle complex tasks and create effective strategies to identify solutions.
Spiritual – Spiritual development allows the true authentic self of the individual to flourish and the individual’s ability to connect to all that is around them.
Moral – Moral development of an individual concerns developing proper attitudes and behaviours towards other people in the society. Moral development is based on social and cultural norms, laws and rules as well as understanding and applying values and ethics such as honesty, integrity and fair play, developing responsibility and empathy and learning to navigate the consequences of actions.
Creative - Creative development is concerned with the ability to create ideas, express and transform ideas into reality, navigating ambiguity, exploring possibilities and evaluating ideas. Positive creative skills allow the individual to create new solutions to problems as well as support willingness to engage in new experiences and develop meaningful ideas.
So how can we develop all these aspects of a child using outdoor and natural environments?
Being outside in natural environments there are a huge variety of different activities that can support the development all areas of an individual. Children should be encouraged to explore their environment and learn from the activities and play with minimal adult control and intervention. This aims to enable children to build confidence, self esteem, independence and social skills. By using open ended activities it will often allow children to pick and choose which area they are developing and they may choose to develop several areas at the same time. For children that consistently choose the same type of activities adults may wish to plan activities that encourage the child to take a risk and work on another area of development.
Some examples of how the natural environment can be used in holistic development are outlined below:
Physical:
Activities that involve movement – moving through the woods, climbing trees, balancing on logs, moving items between locations, team games, treasure hunts.
Activities that support fine motor skills development – building shelters, forest crafts, learning knots, building fires, using hand tools, cooking, exploration tables, digging in the ground with tools.
Being present and engaging in nature allows children and adults to use all their senses – sight, touch, hearing, smell and taste but particularly vestibular and proprioceptive senses as well as core strength and postural control. Development of these key senses in children is vital for long term positive physical development.
Emotional:
All tasks that require perseverance and resilience will support and develop emotional health – failing and then trying again and then succeeding or not is a critical part of children’s emotional development. Getting a fire to light is a good example of this.
Emotional health can also be supported by having a relaxed approach to time and allowing children to dictate the pace of exploration. Open spaces and natural sounds also enhance feelings of wellbeing and calmness and emotions can feel more manageable and less intense in outdoor environments.
By engaging children in activities that give a sense of achievement when finished can boost self esteem and confidence. Such as fire lighting, building a shelter, forest craft, cooking, team games or simply hiking up a hill and looking back to see how far they have come!
Social/relational learning:
By allowing children to work as part of a group it builds their social skills, provides group identity and gives the child a sense of belonging.
Many outdoor activities incorporate working as a group: shelter building, collecting fire wood, building woodland crafts, mud kitchen play, hiking, high energy games such as 'tag' or team games like football etc.
Children being able to interact with a range of ages and stages of development also enhances social and relational learning – older children learn to support younger children and younger children learn how to navigate relationships with older children and adults.
Cognitive learning:
Including children in the thinking and planning of adventures in nature – what interests them, where would they like their enquiry to go and gaining reflections from the children as the time in nature progresses. Introducing an element of discussion allows children to talk about what they have learnt and how they feel. This is also a way of respecting the children's ideas and imagination.
Using creative activities can really support cognitive learning particularly for children that are sensory or kinaesthetic learners. For example making art using the natural materials around them, making stick structures or painting with natural materials.
Moral/Spiritual:
Playing allows children to develop their own strategies for maintaining rules and boundaries. Children will have to develop rules that are fair and just with adult support if required.
Children learning in nature will develop a respect and love for the natural environment. Adults can teach how to care and protect the environment, considering the long term impact for future generations.
The outdoors also offers a chance for quiet, time to teach children to slow down, to breath and to be mindful.
In Summary being out in nature with children of all ages and stages will have benefit to their whole self and nature is the perfect classroom without walls for children to develop and grow.
References:
Siegel, Daniel (2012) The Whole Brain Child. 12 Proven strategies to nurture your child’s developing mind. Robinson. London.
Hanscom, Angela (2016) Balanced and barefoot. How outdoor play makes for strong, confident and capable children. New Harbinger publications. Oakland CA.
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