Our Children are so fortunate to be learning here on the West Coast of Vancouver Island. The weather in Nanaimo is mild and children can play for long periods of time outdoors if they wear appropriate rain gear and are able to stay dry under their coats.
Outdoor play allows children to have all of their senses engaged at the same time. Children can hear the sounds of nature and cars going by, experience the smells of fresh flowers, leaves, and dirt. They can watch the clouds or rain dripping from a leaf and more. These multiple experiences at the same time help strengthen their senses and growing brains.
My son gets good influence from playing outside because he can feel more things than staying inside, and that helps his emotional development and curiosity. He told us many times with a big smile the day he saw the garbage truck or airplane while he stayed at daycare. He enjoys rainy days too. He likes playing in a puddle or making splashes with other children. I believe that playing outside makes his immune system stronger too.
I appreciate the way staff concern the children individually with flexibility. Like if someone is hungry, he can have a snack and other children can continue playing. – Yuki, a mother whose child attends CVIMS daycare.
When children are allowed to spend playtime outdoors, there are fewer rules and they can self-direct how they spend their time. When children direct their own play, they are more excited and happier and play for longer periods of time. This helps children develop their attention and focus for other activities.
[I used to worry when my daughter plays outside. But when I pick her up and ask her if she’s cold she says no and that she has her jacket and boots to keep her warm. I don’t worry anymore! She enjoys the outdoors more, especially when she feeds the rabbits, draws, plays with the sand and shares toys with her friends. Thank you for everything] – Ly Ha, a mom with a daughter at CVIMS daycare
Children who play outside move their bodies and breathe deep more often. This makes less stress in the body for children. Less stress in the body is good for the body and helps the brain to grow.
The outside play offers many opportunities and challenges for children to plan, negotiate, learn how to prioritize and multitask. These skills are important and help children feel confident, capable and allow them to set goals for their futures.
And most of all Outside is Fun!
See what other parents have to say!
When I secured my first job in Canada, my child was 1 year and 10 months old. With me and my spouse working full time, I had to arrange childcare for the little one. I was lucky to secure a spot at a local group daycare facility that offered the services for infants, toddlers and preschool-aged children. My child was placed with the infant/toddler group in early August of that year. The whole process was a learning curve for me.
But, the biggest one for me was understanding the need for outdoor play in the rain. In my home country, it rains roughly once a week, and we just don’t do outdoor activities on those days in the winter. That is not the case here in Canada. When it starts raining, it keeps going on for what it feels like forever, and it’s cold! The daycare has a policy that they do outdoor play every day, rain or shine. I realized that a little bit of water does not hold a Canadian inside, and that was a major struggle for me. My instincts were telling me that keeping a child outside in the rain will lead to a cold, and I just didn’t want that for my baby. I shared my concerns with the staff and they assured me that this was normal, the children would be all right, given the necessary precautions were in place. They taught me about proper outdoor gear for the season, showed me the activities the children did and explained that this was the norm and all children participated and were healthy happy children.
I have to admit that, at first, I was not happy with the situation. But I did as I was taught and got the necessary gear for my child. My biggest surprise was that my child was just fine (exactly like they told me) and happy being outside! My child learned so many new words (so did I!), fun games, activities, songs. My child’s speech and motor skills development were off the charts! The child loved drawing in the wet dirt and seeing the consequences of water falling on the toys (they had spinning things, sort of like water wheels). Today my child is 8 years old, attending the local school. The child is a lot more comfortable outside than I will ever be (who knew that jumping in puddles is still fun for an 8-year-old?). Even after all these years, this is still a cultural difference that I am not fully comfortable with, but I learned to trust. Seeing my kid happy and comfortable with their body and the environment around them is worth it.
My child attends the after-school program with the same daycare from when they were younger. I have a great relationship with the staff and they still provide me with guidance on school matters, concerns or cultural differences. I learned to ask for guidance from the professionals and trust the process. So far, I do not regret this decision, but I have to remind myself of that every now and then =) – Manoela, an immigrant mom with kids.
