- By Eden
- Salley
Growing Minds Naturally: How Spending Time Outdoors Can Foster Executive Function Skills
This article is part of our weekly series, Executive Function Tips for Families.
What Happens When Learning Takes a Walk on the Wild Side?
This week, we’re breaking down a study about the advantages of nature-based learning. Read on to learn how unstructured outdoor play can play a powerful role in nurturing executive function skills and supporting school readiness.
Before We Continue: Understanding the Study
This article explores findings from the study Supporting School Readiness Naturally: Exploring Executive Function Growth in Nature Preschools by Zamzow and Ernst (2020), published in The International Journal of Early Childhood Environmental Education.
The study compared executive function (EF) growth in preschoolers attending six different schools. Two-thirds of the schools prioritized nature, making sure students get unstructured play time outdoors. The others took a more traditional approach to preschool learning. Researchers assessed EF skills at the beginning and end of the school year, measuring the impact of differing approaches to early childhood education.
How is This Related to Executive Function?
Executive function encompasses three primary cognitive processes: working memory, inhibitory control, and cognitive flexibility. These mental processes help us plan, focus attention, remember instructions, and manage multiple tasks successfully. While structured learning has historically been considered best-practice, the study suggests that prioritizing unstructured play provides an alternative that modern preschools can implement to foster EF skill growth in students.
Key Takeaways
1. Nature Play and Executive Function Skills
- The study suggests that nature play, which involves activities like exploring puddles, climbing trees, or collecting leaves, positively contributes to the development of executive function skills in preschoolers.
- Nature preschools emphasize outdoor play and child-directed learning, providing an ideal environment for EF growth.
2. Executive Function Skills and Academic Achievement
- Executive function skills act as attention-regulation skills critical for conscious planning, goal-oriented behavior, and academic achievement.
- The study highlights the role of EF skills as predictors of positive approaches to learning, school readiness and long-term academic performance.
3. Holistic Development and Unstructured Play
- Both groups of preschoolers in the study exhibit significant growth in executive function skills, challenging the assumption that only structured learning supports cognitive development.
- The focus on holistic development, combined with substantial periods of unstructured play, emerges as a common factor contributing to executive function skill growth in preschoolers.
4. Potential Impact on a Sustainable Future
- The findings suggest that preschoolers who spend time doing unstructured outdoor play not only develop essential EF skills but also deepen their connection to the natural world.
- This connection to nature, coupled with strong executive function skills, is seen as valuable for addressing environmental challenges, which could contribute to a more sustainable future.
Actionable Steps for Parents
Here’s how you can support your child’s EF development at home:
Prioritize Unstructured Play
- Encourage free play both indoors and outdoors.
- Let your child lead the way, as unstructured play fosters working memory, cognitive flexibility, and inhibitory control.
Engage in Nature Exploration
- Plan regular outings to natural settings, encouraging your child to explore and engage with the outdoors.
- Exposure to nature contributes not only to executive function skill growth but also nurtures your child’s curiosity and connection to the environment.
Support Holistic Development
- Balance structured learning with child-initiated, imaginative play.
- Focus on their emotional, social, cognitive, and physical growth for well-rounded development.
Encourage Imaginative Play
- Provide costumes, props, and open-ended toys to inspire creativity.
- Imaginative play activates executive function skills and supports the development of cognitive flexibility and working memory.
Why It Matters
By incorporating these strategies into your child’s daily life, you’re not just supporting their executive function development—you’re also helping them build a lasting relationship with the natural world. Together, these foundations can pave the way for academic success and a sustainable future.
