Roles Of Outdoor Play In Early Years: A Literature Review Inquiry

Selected Articles and Their Perspectives

“A literature review inquiry of the roles of outdoor play in early years”.

In this research, the major focus is to be drawn on the roles played by the outdoors in the early years of children with the implication of the relevant number of methods and approaches that are going to be delivered effectively. Accordingly, with the use of two main sources of the articles named “Using Nature and Outdoor Activity to Improve Children’s Health” and “Planning for outdoor play: Government and family decision-making”, we can easily get to know the perspectives and opinions of the variety of individuals and processes involved. This is the reason; these two article sources were selected to make this research critically evident and effective. The significance of this study is that for the existing empirical research, the outdoors physical environments and children under five’s growth were searched. Several writers have underlined the importance of the outside environment in the development of children. Numerous environmental variables have a “global” influence on many aspects of development, while the vast majority of environmental factors have a “localised” impact on a single element of development (Dankiw et.al., 2020). Moreover, when it comes to determining the potential user or services within this research study, then it has been depicted that offering outdoor play activities to the children while ensuring their safety and health conditions are considered the main services offered to them. In addition, the behavioural approach is the main terminology used in the research sources to design standards and a framework for the creation of play areas covered (Reitman et.al., 2020).

As a result of this study, it is important to communicate some of the most widely accepted views on outdoor play. Outdoor play will be briefly summarised and its perceived value for promoting children’s social growth, along with a strong critical appraisal of past studies, before the discussion concludes. It is also important to consider other elements that affect the availability of outdoor play such as time, better facilities, resources, and the perspective and training of personnel.

With the development of the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) and its subsequent refining, the government has consistently put a focus on outdoor play and its role in children’s learning. Some experts have characterised it as a natural and strong way of learning for youngsters as early as three years old (Bascopé et.al., 2019). The researcher explains that outdoor play gives toddlers the freedom to wander about without being constrained by their inside environs. It is not uncommon for practitioners to miss the fact that youngsters are drawn to the natural world. Hence, the initial positionality that first comes to mind while conducting this research is about the focus on the participants and government decision-making involved regarding the inquiry of outdoor play activities and children’s health.  Deliberate use of the tools, as well as the ensuing conversation and cooperation, puts youngsters in settings where they learn to realise and appreciate the interests of others, ultimately leading to better citizens (Yang and Li, 2022).

Significance of Outdoor Play in Children’s Growth and Development

To conduct this research, it is important to create the main research questions which are going to be accomplished and analysed in the form of a literature review effectively, while considering a relevant number of research methods and techniques to complete them. So, the main questions for this research are mentioned below:

Question-(1) How do local government and families of primary school-aged children with disabilities engage in making decisions about outdoor play for such children

Question-(2) How do you analyse the planning for outdoor play by Government and family decision making

Question-(3) How do you determine or analyse that using nature and Outdoor Activity helps in improving the health of children

To conduct this research, it is important to create the main objective of this research which is going to be accomplished and analysed in the form of a literature review effectively, while considering a relevant number of research methods and techniques to complete them. So, the main objectives for this research are mentioned below:

(1) To examine how local government and families of primary school-aged children with disabilities engage in making decisions about outdoor play for such children.

(2) To analyse the planning for outdoor play by Government and family decision making

(3) To determine how using nature and Outdoor Activity helps in improving the health of children

The main reason for conducting this literature review is to critically analyse the opinions of different authors and investigators in terms of inquiry into the roles of outdoor play in the early years. Considering this, the two main sources of articles are selected here to analyse the results and findings based on the importance of outdoor play in terms of the early years of children’s life. Accordingly, it has been suggested that children’s early education should include an active connection with nature, pioneers and proponents of pre-kindergarten concepts so that they can have a playful experience and thereby grow in all aspects (Ping et.al., 2018). Moving ahead, the studies selected also analyse that for all adults, play is an essential part of a child’s healthy growth and development. Children have the right to play, and research shows that children’s play is profoundly influenced by the environments within which they grow. Despite this entitlement, children with special needs are less likely to engage in outdoor play than their usually developing classmates. Challenges such as children’s capabilities, parental awareness of possibilities, conflicting family needs, and un-supportive social and constructed settings make it hard for many children with developmental disabilities to attend and part in a community play in the neighbourhood.

With the studies of McCurdy and Julia, we came to know that despite there are many benefits outdoor play and activities have for children of all ages, the analysis found that involvement in outdoor play among children is low in early childhood. Poor outdoor play tools and infrastructure, bad opinions of parents and instructors, and inclement weather are just some of the obstacles that stop children from enjoying time in outdoors. Whereas, from the other hand, this may also affect the children’s health if they play outside even in such a dynamic environment. (Bubikova et.al., 2019).

Value of Outdoor Play in Promoting Children’s Social Growth and Health

In the context of play and outdoor spaces, this article focuses on equity as an essential policy goal that should be prioritised. Through the use of disability inclusion action plans, the local government is obligated to fulfil its responsibility of helping individuals with disabilities to participate within the community. Moving forward, it has been depicted that the increase in chronic health conditions is disproportionately affecting children of minority and low-socioeconomic communities, thereby creating increased disparities in children’s health. This is the conclusion that can be drawn from the studies that were conducted by McCurdy. We need to place a greater emphasis on measures of prevention that are sustainable over the long run and encourage healthy lifestyle choices. When it comes to the health of children, there should be more of a focus placed on the encouragement of outdoor activities in natural settings. Both the public health community and the environmental education community have begun an important conversation about the positive effects that spending time in nature may have on children.

From Sterman Julia’s (2019) perspective, it has been stated that children are beginners and adults are experts, thus they require the chance to explore and create new opportunities (Sterman et.al., 2019). The purpose of this research was to examine parental and governmental decision-making processes regarding accessible outdoor play opportunities for children with special needs of school age. The capabilities approach is a paradigm for economic and social justice that emphasizes people’s valued options (their capabilities) and their ability to use those options freely within their communities. Therefore, the capacities approach might facilitate fruitful comprehension of the multifaceted relationships between children with disabilities and the circumstances that shape their engagement in play. It has been proposed that health care professionals, such as occupational therapists, can benefit from using capabilities theory to promote diversity and equality in access to services. The capacity method is useful for guiding intervention planning when constraints are present. It posits that people’s abilities (such as in game-playing) are the product of a dynamic interplay between those people’s innate talents and the physical, political, social, and economic contexts in which they find themselves (Zanden et.al., 2018). Families have fewer options when their child’s infirmity prevents them from playing freely in their community. The government and society as a whole have a responsibility to ensure that all individuals are treated with respect and that everyone has some level of agency over their own lives.

Resource allocation, designed modifications, and social and educational programmes all fall under the preview of government and can be used to expand individuals’ range of options. By way of using such approaches and initiatives, the government can plan for the future of the children which promotes their health and education aspects as well. When it comes to playtime, adults are frequently the ones who make the call for kids who have special needs. To increase children’s opportunities for creative expression via play, local governments need feedback from parents and other caretakers on the types of play accessible to them now and the kinds of spaces they should prioritise for growth.

Factors Affecting Availability of Outdoor Play

In addition to it, it has been reviewed from the studies related to outdoor play and children’s health improvement, it has been analysed that there are some key topics from capabilities theory that play an important role in this investigation and are adaptive choices and group capabilities. When a group or person is denied access to a resource or talent that they otherwise would find valuable, they develop adaptive preferences for doing without them. Those with an adaptive preference have learned to be content with their circumstances. As the last point, collective capacity is a relatively new idea. It is an ability that can arise solely through people cooperating in a group. Family, stakeholder groups, and the local community are some other supporting members that play a major role in the growth and development of the children especially when it comes to outdoor play (Breslin and Gatrell, 2020).

Although children are acclimated to outdoor learning environments and are less sensitive to weather’s subtleties, poor weather conditions are the most unexpected aspect of working outdoors (Carrillo and Flores, 2020). As a result, it has been depicted that the perceptions and views of parents stated that the outside environment has been shown a greater impact on children’s experiences in the region. For parents to be more supportive regarding outdoor play, the researchers and the studies believed that parents must be able to witness their children in action and should be able to understand what their children are doing and what they are playing.

For the development of the children by way of outdoor play, it is important to take some initiatives by the government, community members and parents as well for the improve their children’s health and cognitive development. For that matter, implementing an innovative outdoor education project can be one of the initiatives adopted for the same. On the other hand, Despite having a big and well-prepared outdoor space, with natural features and varied sort of buildings to facilitate play, at the beginning of the project the kids did not utilise the outdoors frequently. Recent studies have begun to investigate the relationship between outdoor activities, green space access, and human health. In addition to it, to defend the idea that young children’s curiosity and excitement in making discoveries in the great outdoors are key to their development of positive attitudes towards their natural surroundings. Children who spend time outside are more likely to appreciate the benefits that nature provides to society. This implies that free play in natural areas promotes lifelong sustainable and ecological behaviours by increasing acquaintance with nature and creating a sense of belonging from a young age. The proliferation of electronic media, a reduction in the amount of time available for children to engage in unstructured, spontaneous play, and the presence of structural constraints all contribute to a lack of children’s physical activity and a growing disconnection with the natural world. Due to the fast development of technology and the increasing prevalence of electronic media in our culture, there are now a variety of fresh and convenient ways for us to enjoy ourselves, interact with one another, and exchange knowledge. However, it has now become the primary factor inhibiting people’s ability to engage in physical activity and spend time outside. More and more young people are expected to be utilising computers as a result of the advent of online social networking and its ever-increasing popularity (Panula et.al., 2019). Therefore, the review examines the current issues in health, outdoor life, and child’s research is talked about, and it focuses on how they help us recognise how children’s use of outside spaces and their health outcomes are linked. There are also gaps in the investigation and ideas for how to fill those.

Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) and Its Focus on Outdoor Play

From the studies of McCurdy, it has been reviewed that Preschool and kindergarten kids learn and grow through cooperative play in natural settings. During outdoors play, children become students and mentors, contributing their knowledge and expertise as they perform different challenges and activities. Empathy may be fostered via these cooperative experiences, as youngsters gain insight into the perspectives of others and the challenges they face. Interactions in the natural world are notable for developing gradually over time. This gives kids the freedom to choose the people and experiences they want to connect with and the memories they want to hold onto. Children are less likely to be forced to play with people they don’t like when they have access to outside areas.

On the other hand, Julia’s (2019) research found that the adults in the lives of children with disabilities are frequently the ones who decide what kinds of play opportunities are available to the children. To broaden the range of play options accessible to children, the local government wants input from caregivers about the range of play options now available to them and the specific areas that should be prioritised for expanding play options.

Two important ideas from capabilities theory that apply to this investigation are adaptive preferences and collective capabilities. Adaptive preferences emerge when societies make certain capabilities or resources inaccessible to certain individuals or groups, and those individuals or groups eventually learn not to desire such capabilities or resources, even though they may value them. People who have learnt to be content with who they are and what they have been described as having an adaptive preference. Lastly, the notion of collective capacity is still in its infancy. It is a capability that can only exist as a result of members of a group cooperating. This group might be a family, an organisation representing stakeholders, or the community. For instance, local families may pool their resources and work together to lobby for the creation of a new inclusive park in their community (Richardson and Mishra, 2019).

Before conducting a deep discussion about the use of Nature and Outdoor activities for the improvement of children’s health, it is important to know about the benefits of the same for the improvement of mental and physical health of the children. Accordingly, spending time with nature and natural light will help in freshen up the mood and stress among the children. Hence, Physical activity has a lot of the same benefits and often makes people feel better and calms them down. From the research and information predicted by McCurdy, it has been demonstrated that practices and policies are in place to make the landscape and other “natural” places more accessible. People can see this by, for example, how it plans to expand natural playground equipment and the Dynamic Woods Program, the Forestry Commission is committed to this objective and has identified the relationship between making wooded places more accessible and promoting health and well-being (McCurdy et.al., 2010).

The incorporation of physical activity into free-form play settings is an integral feature of childhood experiences in the great outdoors. Kids may run about and get a good sweat going in an unrestricted environment. They may boost their agility, strength, endurance, and motor functions through outdoor physical activity. Their body image, self-esteem, and sense of self are all bolstered as a result. Movement and physical activity that fosters learning is referred to as embodied learning. When kids play outside, they get to know their community and the world outside their neighbourhood (Hedges and Cooper, 2018). They interact with the world around them and gain knowledge through physically touching objects and people. This, on the one hand, piques their attention and encourages more exploration. On the other hand, this has profound effects on how kids pick up on directions, learn new abstract concepts, and make sense of their environment. That’s why it’s so important for kids to get outside and play: it helps their brains grow. There are certain features of outdoor activity that are specific to or more essential for children, even though they share many of the same health advantages as adults.

Main Research Questions and Objectives

Hence, from the above discussion, it is correct if we say that existing research on children’s utilisation of outdoor areas has shown a link between time spent there and physical activity levels in general. Children’s health is thought to benefit from more physical exercise in a variety of ways, including reducing obesity (Hinkley et.al., 2018). To combat Europe’s child obesity epidemic (the UK, for example, is claimed to have a million fat children), the utilisation of nature and the physical exercise that comes with it have great promise.

Obesity in children is believed to be caused by a variety of causes, including both a sedentary lifestyle and an unhealthy diet. We can utilise children’s outside time to raise their physical activity levels and combat these unfavourable health effects since time spent outdoors has been linked to physical activity. In addition, I learned through my literature review that kids benefit greatly from being out into the open air and experiencing the sights and sounds of nature. They have greater opportunities to connect with others, fostering the growth of their social skills, including empathy, cooperation, and cultural fluency. In addition, being outside in the sunshine brightens their spirits. Decreases in children’s levels of anxiety, despair, and hyperactivity are another positive outcome of time spent outside (Sommerauer and Müller, 2018).  

The in-depth information and discussion regarding the topic ensure that it has been shown that spending time in nature has restorative effects and helps reduce stress and prevent depression on a broader scale. In the literature on “restorative settings,” this is widely documented. Studies have shown, for example, that “natural” locations are “over-represented among favourite destinations” among university students and are associated with feelings of “ease” and “forgetting anxieties (Sterman et.al., 2018).” Children’s sleep and gastrointestinal issues may be alleviated by spending time outside. It is also possible to find studies that focus on the hazards of exposure to chemicals in play equipment outside the home, for example. The risk of damage to children in outdoor surroundings and particular adult-designed play places is also examined in certain research (Cleary et.al., 2020). Therefore, from this research, it has been analysed that with this worldwide dialogue on the role of play in young children’s learning, as well as on the “successful” ways to provide for their playful activity as part of their care and education, many different points of view have been expressed and disagreements have been expressed. In worldwide literature, debates regarding the importance of outdoor play and learning for young children have become popular (Adler et.al., 2019). As a result, with the use of a keywords-based approach, this literature review section includes the appropriate information for this study.

Having an effective and appropriate research philosophy helps in focusing a person’s behaviour in the context of a real-world problem. Finding the proper philosophy aids in defining the methods used in data collection and even aids in deciding on the correct findings. Making the proper philosophical choice among three major research philosophies—realism, positivism, and interpretivism—has its distinctive features. Positivism guides the methods through which researchers collect information about the social world. For this problem, the investigator must employ interpretivism since it is most compatible with secondary data. Since the alternatives were found inappropriate for this research, hence the interpretivism philosophy is chosen to analyse the opinions of individuals and participants involved in this research in an effective way (Margot and Kettler, 2019). As a consequence, the Interpretivism philosophy helps in getting a better understanding of the source of knowledge and information gathered in this study.

Conclusion and Implications

In the study’s findings, the research issue was approached in several ways. To collect data, analyse it, and draw conclusions, researchers might utilise a variety of methods. It is common for researchers to utilise a variety of methodologies to answer research questions and accomplish their goals, including case studies and questionnaires. A descriptive study is one of the most successful methods for obtaining information based on the number of researchers and investigators via the online source article we have included. In the same section of the descriptive approach, we’ll do a literature study and analyse the two main sources of online articles to conduct this study in an effective way (Grzybowski et.al., 2020).

Researchers must always keep the whole investigation in mind while doing their research, and they must apply the right study design and process. Analysts may prefer one way over the other, but researchers may employ both strategies at the same time. The researcher can use the deductive and inductive methods to get a full grasp of research methods by using specific facts and data. Interpretative paradigm studies need an inductive approach rather than a deductive one, and this research falls under that category. Inductive approaches do not need the creation of a hypothesis to undertake research (Bano et.al., 2018). Researchers may benefit from this method since it helps construct a relevant theory and takes into account several points of view. Hence, an inductive approach was selected over a deductive one because it helps the researcher to have more subjective knowledge of the study’s concerns. This method may be used to provide data and analyses that are both relevant and accurate in light of the research questions. The study’s reliability and validity are also enhanced by this method because Inductive methods were used to achieve the study’s aims and objectives.

Primary and secondary sources of information are both useful in the research process. Articles, journals, papers, books, online sources, theories, and many more like these may all be accessible using the secondary method of data collection. We need to know about the research they are currently conducting to benefit from the new, timely, and relevant information it provides. By using a reliable method of secondary data gathering, this study provides insightful responses to the research question. Books, journals, and online articles are only a few of the secondary resources available to researchers. Furthermore, the literature review section of the study will include a compilation of relevant prior works. The research must also include previous qualitative studies or data to show the theoretical situation to establish a new theory centred on the exceptional case of children’s cognitive growth as a result of outdoor play (Verhoeven et.al., 2019).

According to the findings of this investigation, the study’s purpose may be achieved by using a variety of resources. As a result, more precise findings may be drawn from data collection techniques used by researchers. We may gather information through doing primary and secondary research, as well as conducting qualitative and quantitative research. To get as many opinions as possible, quantitative studies often poll a huge number of people (Perignat, 2019). When compared to quantitative studies, qualitative research focuses on particular people and places that are known to have important information. Studies under progress that are relevant to the topic matter might be used to gather secondary data. Hence, Due to its origins in previous research, secondary data may be trusted (Clandinin et.al., 2018).

An important part of the research process is analysing the investigator’s data using descriptive statistics and content analysis of secondary data was used. The researcher has gathered secondary data to guarantee that the study’s goals are met. For this reason, readers now have a better understanding of what they’re reading. A Systematic Literature Review technique will be used by the researcher to gather information regarding the difficulties experienced by young children while playing outdoor games and developing their cognitive skills and knowledge about it. The responses to each question will then be explored and analysed using the content analysis approach (Storli et.al., 2019).

The researcher chose a data-gathering technique that needed both time and money since they were both essential concerns. The study’s purpose may be affected by any of these elements. In addition, they have the potential to affect the study’s results. Primary data collection takes more time than secondary information, according to the findings. A study’s quality may be affected even if the research methods used are inappropriate. Despite a wide range of difficulties, it was tough to find and persuade a varied group of volunteers to participate in the study’s principal purpose. To perform an effective study, the researcher must gain the trust of the participants.

Choosing an appropriate research approach was challenging since a flawed strategy may have a detrimental influence on the overall efficacy of the investigation. The researcher had to run an online survey to get enough data for this investigation. Because of this, the researcher couldn’t focus on a specific group of individuals (Tomas et.al., 2019). As a result, this endeavour had a significant impact on the study’s quality. Several issues were encountered as a result of this. Since secondary data gathering is less dependable than primary data collection, this is the reason that the study outcomes for this research could be less conclusive.

Basic research projects must adhere to ethical standards to guarantee the validity and reliability of the findings and the privacy of participants. This is permitted per university policy. Additionally, there are rigorous restrictions in place to prevent plagiarism, copyright infringement, and the fragmentation of data. These dangers should be included in the analysis, but the analyst must make certain that the participant’s data is protected. To illustrate the originality of the data and to help the researcher in generating reliable data, references and quotes should be included with each phrase. Authentic academics and researchers must also be given credit where credit is due, so that scholars may analyse and correct any flaws. To prevent duplication or resemblance with other similar studies in the field, the researcher also used simple and unambiguous language (Compen et.al., 2019).

In addition to it, Ethical considerations are critical to ensure the validity and trustworthiness of any basic research endeavour, as well as to preserve the privacy of participants. In compliance with university regulations, this is permissible. Not only does legislation outlaw data theft, but it also forbids copyright infringement and plagiarism. Before including these risks in the research, the analyst must ensure that the individual’s data is safe and secure in the first place. References and quotations should have been supplied with each term to demonstrate the uniqueness of the data and to assist the researcher in the generation of credible data; however, they were not (Oliveira et.al., 2019).

The study’s author adhered to all regulations set forth by the institution, and no bias, either political or personal, was used in writing the study’s thesis. The researcher is cognizant of the potential for concerns like plagiarism and copyright infringement while employing a secondary data collection strategy. All of the article, from introduction to conclusion, is referenced properly. This technology facilitates research by increasing data reliability and maybe preventing copyright violations (Burden et.al., 2019). These obstacles are taken into consideration by the scholar and addressed by awarding full credit to real information researchers or academics who have done significant studies. Furthermore, the learner has experienced a straightforward language that allows him or her to comprehend the information obtained, therefore avoiding repetition or likeness of previous studies.

Considering the above discussion regarding the literature review, we have conducted it has been analysed that Using Nature and Outdoor Activity to Improve Youngsters’ Health’s essential source article portrays and analyses that today’s children may be in danger of having a shorter life than their parents.

From the views of Leyla and McCurdy (2019), it has been depicted that Childhood is changing as a result of social shifts in the present. Fewer opportunities for outdoor recreation are leading to increasingly sedentary lives alienated from nature. Based on the in-depth discussion in the literature review, it has been analysed that a group of young children in an early childhood education setting participated in the development of a project centred on the exploration of the natural world (Jiang et.al., 2020). To a possible extent, child welfare professionals defer to families’ knowledge and experience when making decisions about their children. Through a family engagement method, families are helped to find their answers to their problems. Using this strengths-based strategy, a trusting environment can have established by the family members, who are then given the tools and encouragement, so that they can work together with the agency to construct a plan for the individual’s wellbeing and long-term success. When families are given a greater say in the decisions that affect them, both their own needs and those of the community at large are better met, and the probability that those services will be utilised to see the case plan through to completion is increased.

Also, it has been analysed that Children’s health care should place more focus on promoting outdoor movement in natural settings. The advantages of nature for children have sparked a lively debate in the fields of public health and environmental education (Australia, 2018). Accordingly, it is important to determine the Health advantages of outdoor physical exercise and natural habitats examined in this study, which suggests that providers should do more to encourage children’s outside physical activity and natural surroundings.

Some of the reasons McCurdy suggested the reason why kids aren’t getting enough exercise are because they are more interested in online games, less time for unorganised free play, and environmental laws. On the contrary, there is no doubt in this that some of the positive effects of spending time in nature are better cognitive functioning (like being able to focus more, pay more attention, and do better in school), better motor coordination, less stress, more social interaction with parents and other adults, and relationships with peers. But technology has also, sadly, taken over as the major influence preventing people from engaging in physical exercise or spending time outside (King and Pringle, 2019). This is the reason, it is important to focus more on children’s outdoor play in the early years so that their mental health will not get impacted because of the growing use of online games.

On the other hand, with this article study, we have analysed and incorporated that it can also be possible that a child’s access to outdoor play is limited by the constructed environment. Connected roadways, walkways, and easy access to recreational amenities are only a few of the built environment features that support active travel. Physical exercise might be discouraged by a lack of neighbourhood playgrounds, walkways, and cul-de-sacs. Rather than enjoying the outdoors, children nowadays spend more time in cars, being shuttled from one indoor activity to another. Other health issues, such as environmental pollution and crime, also need to be taken into account, and may also be reasons for parents to keep their children inside. The authors of ecological research found less time was spent outside by older kids who had fewer adults to look after them after school.

Despite mounting evidence for the benefits of outdoor play, few efforts appear to be made to expand children’s access to such opportunities. As a result of globalisation, more technology, and increased urbanisation, children’s access to green spaces and possibilities for outdoor play is declining (Van et.al., 2018). Developing a culture of concern about the probable mishaps that can happen affects parents’ and professionals’ approaches regarding outdoor play, therefore children prefer to be kept indoors, busy with scheduled activities, and regulated by adults. Adding to this, there is a worry to engage children throughout the day, considering that most families work very long hours and wish to provide the greatest opportunity for children to learn different skills and information. Academic pursuits and sports typically take children’s time to play freely. Most kids nowadays are driven from one activity to another, seldom getting any real exposure to the outdoors or their neighbours.

In contrast, here’s another piece of article by Julia (2019) based on the theme of preparing for outdoor play: Children’s well-being and development are shown as having a broadly acknowledged role in government and family decision-making. Regardless matter where it takes place, children’s right to play is universally accepted. As a consequence of this, children with impairments are often less likely to engage in outdoor play than their classmates. Children and families with disabilities face several obstacles when trying to engage in outdoor play in their local community (Herodotou, 2018). All kids have the right to play, and it’s an important thing for kids to do. Still, children with disabilities often can’t play outside with other kids. How a child’s skills interact with their environment, especially their family, school, and community, affects what they choose to do for fun. Children had more play options at home than they did at school or in the neighbourhood. Families should continue to see play as both a means and an end, and they should plan for play based on their values and the interests of their children (Beemt et.al., 2020). To give kids with disabilities more choices and make them feel more welcome at play, the school needs to raise their play expectations and help the play environment. The local government needs to have more meaningful conversations with families and think about how to include the whole family on the playground.

Therefore, with the help of in-depth discussion and analysis, this research is considered a great help in gaining insight into Outdoor play for children with special needs: how family members and government entities make choices about it. The economic and social justice concept, known as the capabilities approach, focuses on people’s choices and the freedoms they have in their society to make those choices (capabilities). Knowledge of how children with disabilities and their settings impact their engagement in play may be gained by using a capabilities-based approach. Health professionals, especially occupational therapists, have been urged to employ capabilities theory to promote fairness of opportunity and inclusion (Krogh and Morehouse, 2020). The capabilities approach may be used to better focus future actions when there are restrictions. An individual’s ability to participate in play activities is a consequence of an interplay between their talents or abilities and their physical, political, socioeconomic, and cultural surroundings. For families with children with disabilities, there are fewer options for activities that may fit their needs. Government and society have a moral responsibility to treat everyone as a person and give them at least a small amount of control over their lives, according to the equality and justice perspective. The distribution of resources, alterations to the physical environment, or social or educational activities may all be used by the government to broaden consumer choice. Opportunities for children with impairments are typically influenced by their caregivers.” Children’s play options need to be expanded, and the local government needs advice from caregivers on the best places to focus their efforts. In this research, the notions of adaptive preferences and collective capacities are important. Adaptive preferences are formed when society restricts a person or group’s access to a capacity or resource, even if the individual or group may value that skill or resource. A person’s adaptive preference refers to how they’ve learnt to be content with their current situation. In addition, the notion of collective capacity remains in its infancy. Family, stakeholder and community groups are all examples of these kinds of sources that play a major role in identifying the children’s needs. Hence, there are several examples of how families may get together to push for a new, inclusive park in their area which is provided by the researchers like Julia.

Children’s physical activity may be affected by an article on Using Nature and Outdoor Activities to Improve Children’s Health that says that “green” school properties include a wider variety of environmental elements like gardens as well as nature trails. Some sports, such as basketball, may not be suitable for all youngsters, and this is especially true on fields with asphalt or grass. At school, allowing children to connect with nature may encourage more students to engage in physical exercise. Recent educational initiatives stress these characteristics in an attempt to get students more involved and creative (Chawla, 2020). In the research study, Julia also included examples regarding this topic which says that there are 59 schools throughout Canada surveyed by teachers, parents, and administrators as part of a review of these efforts. Students were asked how much their schoolyards’ “green” qualities affected their level of physical activity. More than half of respondents said that their “green” school grounds encouraged them to engage in more strenuous physical exercise as a consequence of the campaign.

Children who spend more time playing outdoors in natural areas are less likely to become obese since data shows that natural environments promote physical exercise. Although additional study is needed, natural surroundings might lessen children’s risk of contracting other ailments. All of the early childhood educators at the centre were engaged in this outdoor project directly, and indirectly the centre’s board, other professionals, families, community people, and the children themselves. Children’s attention and curiosity are piqued by the variety of stimuli available in the natural world (McCurdy et.al., 2010). Therefore, it has been determined that exposing youngsters to the wonders of Nature via investigation of its many diverse aspects is crucial.

This study’s findings corroborate local government policies that say empowerment to identify and solve environmental obstacles may not be achievable without involvement from families of children with disabilities, as critically analysed in Julia’s research. The local government, on the other hand, was struggling to get input from the people (Beemt et.al., 2020). As a result, this might lead to adjustments that better represent the needs of the community and foster continuous dialogues. Parent participants did not hear government messaging or feel like they had a voice in their neighbourhood. Families valued play and made plans for it based on their child’s interests and skills as well as their own needs. Schools didn’t have high standards for play, and just having kids on the playground was enough. In addition to it, it has also been analysed that when thinking about playgrounds, the local government focused on meeting the minimum requirements and making sure everyone could get to them. Most schools and local governments had a negative view of children with disabilities in the United States, which made it hard for them to get involved. As a result, Julia concluded that social capital and the belief that one may attain one’s potential might be reduced if a person does not regard themselves as valuable in society, which is the most important thing that we have gained while conducting this analysis of these two studies in an effective way (Australia, 2018).

After analysing each source of the article separately, now it is important to conduct a comparative analysis of these two key sources to make this research critically evident and effective.

For that matter, the studies of Leyla and McCurdy (2010) depicted that the Children and Nature Initiative works with paediatric healthcare practitioners to get kids and their families to parklands and other nature reserves that are easy to get to. They want kids to spend much more time outdoors. In adult health care, the notion of prescribing nature as a way to encourage physical activity and improve health has evolved. AMA and the American College of Sports Medicine have developed the Exercise is Medicine initiative, which encourages health practitioners to include exercise into their patients’ treatment programmes, prescribing physical activity and referring them to physical activity providers (Burden et.al., 2019). Because it relies mostly on existing infrastructure, this strategy is more cost-effective than other methods of encouraging physical activity. This implies that Using this approach to children’s health care in the article of McCurdy (2010), it has been concluded that the Children and Nature Initiative is also encouraging children to spend more time outside, both for physical exercise and mental health benefits. Experts and stakeholders from top health care organisations serve on an advisory council that advises the initiative on prescribing outdoor activities for children. As a result of the initiative, local parks and nature centres can link health care practitioners with families in need of outdoor activities that are both safe and easy to access (Jiang et.al., 2020). A strategy that has taught thousands of health care practitioners about environmental health concerns is used by the Children and Nature Initiative. To become Nature Champions in their communities, paediatric health care workers engage in a train-the-trainer course. As a result, the Nature Champions in their communities go on to teach others in the field. To be effective, they have access to the People who work with kids’ well-being and nature should read the Children’s Health and Nature Fact Sheet, which explains why nature can be good for kids’ health. The Paediatric Enviro History Form, asks paediatric health care providers how they can get their patients outside more. As part of the Children and Nature Initiative (CNI), a network of organisations and institutions may work together to encourage kids to invest additional time outside and educate them on how to safeguard their health and the environment.

On the other hand, from the study or key source of Julia (2019), It has been illustrated that Communities may pick what skills they value and for whom; nevertheless, discounting of Communities decreases their agency (and consequently involvement) in the planning process for outdoor play. Family and community self-determination should instead be supported by the government so that they can advocate for themselves and have full capacities. People may help their well-being by bringing about improvements in their communities, and groups of individuals can use their agency to strengthen collective capability when they have it. As a means of disseminating knowledge in this society, the voices of cultural groups were seen as particularly important (Compen et.al., 2019). The exchanges looked to be mostly one-sided. Although cultural organisations are crucial facilitators for community agency and advocacy, they are underutilised in this regard. When parents organised outdoor play, the whole family’s talents have to interact favourably with the environment for it to be a familial collective competence. Familial issues included addressing: conflicting demands of family members, the stigma surrounding disability for all family members to feel comfortable in play areas, and flexibility with when, where, and with whom play for the kid with a disability happened. Because they considered their community was better equipped to help them participate, many families from non-Western backgrounds depended on them rather than the government. Rather than only focusing on the kid, participation efforts for collective skills should include family and community interventions. Play is only possible if everyone in the family feels included and welcomed in their community (Tomas et.al., 2019).

As a result, based on the above analysis of the two main key sources we have selected to conduct this research, it has been demonstrated that by combining growing kid health concerns with the urge to reconnect children with the environment, the National Environmental Education Foundation has established an approach.

Conclusion

Therefore, from the above discussion, it has been concluded that there is emerging evidence that exposure to natural areas may increase children’s attention and reduce their stress levels via physical exercise. When it comes to addressing chronic problems like children’s obesity and mental health, paediatricians may use outdoor play in nature to do it in a cost-effective and scalable manner. This implies that children’s health professionals should encourage unstructured play and physical exercise via age-appropriate, pleasurable activities like hiking or visiting the park. Paediatric health care clinicians must encourage their patients to engage in more physical exercise, especially in natural settings.

As a result, McCurdy’s research shows that kids feel better when they exercise, and there’s more and more evidence that getting kids outside in nature helps them focus and has a calming effect. Advising outdoor play in nature is a realistic strategy for paediatric health care practitioners to manage chronic diseases such as kid obesity, as well as mental health; and one that is cost-effective and readily maintainable.

It was decided to concentrate on studies that looked at how children interact with outdoor environments and how it can affect their health in this literature review. It’s been shown that spending time in nature has a favourable impact on one’s health. Research has shown that those who have access to greenspace have better health overall, and that physical activity is linked to more outside time. There is a link between physical activity and prevailing health problems such as obesity, but outdoor workout also is beneficial because it allows individuals to meet with nature and improve their health. When it comes to promoting good health and spending time outside, research shows that children are an important demographic. Hence, with this research and analysis, we came to know that Outdoor play is becoming more popular as a method to combat sedentary lives and modern health issues, not only but also as a way of getting kids back in touch with nature Children are getting less and less likely to see organic places and things daily, even though there is compelling evidence that these experiences are important for their progress and expansion. It’s been shown that there is a lot of debate in the scientific community about how children behave in their surroundings, both those which are made by adults and those that are made by the kids themselves.

However, Julia draws this conclusion from the data in the study: Successful community participation should aim to collect representative views of all inhabitants and participate in continual, rather than on-off dialogues.

Based on the findings and conclusions of researchers like Julia and McCurdy, we now know that paediatric healthcare providers should advocate for their patients to engage in more physical activity and that they should also consider recommending activities that take place in natural settings as part of their patients’ regular exercise regimen.

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