Outdoor play is increasingly recognized as a foundation for children’s healthy social, cognitive, emotional and physical development. As such, outdoor play has now been added to the Encyclopedia on Early Childhood Development, where experts have weighed in on 9 outdoor play related topics from play-based learning to designing cities to support outdoor play.

The chapter recognizes the collective role of parents, educators, policy-makers and communities in supporting outdoor play, and makes recommendations to each group. For example, parents are guided to find a balance between scheduled activities, screen time and free time for their children. Additionally, policy makers are urged to consider outdoor play-related regulatory requirements in childcare centers.

Read the full outdoor play encyclopedia entry here.