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"Outdoor activity"
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The young adventurer's guide to (almost) everything : build a fort, camp like a champ, poop in the woods--45 action-packed outdoor activities
\"Once upon a time, kids learned the most amazing and unusual things. They learned how to shelter and clothe themselves, how to use a knife and hatchet, how build a fire, tie knots, and read a compass. They learned how to spend a comfortable night in the forest without a nylon tent from REI. The Young Adventurer's Guide will teach kids everything from how to walk like a fox and see like an owl to use the stars as their own personal GPS and even how to build the world's coolest fort out of foraged sticks. This handbook for curious kids will empower them to explore the natural world and even the comfort of their own backyard through a whole new set of skills. Featuring 65 different skills in sections that include: Secrets of the Woods, The Best Camping Trip, Make Cool Stuff That's Actually Useful and Turn the Ordinary into the Extraordinary\"-- Provided by publisher.
Book
Association between early childhood outdoor activity and anxiety symptoms in preschoolers
Background
Recently, a decreasing trend has been observed in the frequency and duration of outdoor activity among children, which has garnered concern regarding the potential impacts of this decline during mental health in early childhood. Currently, the association between outdoor activity in early childhood and the symptoms of anxiety disorders in preschoolers remains unclear. The purpose of this study was to investigate the association between the frequency and duration of outdoor activity in children aged 0–1 and 1–3 years and anxiety symptoms in preschoolers.
Methods
A cross-sectional study was conducted in 2021 using questionnaires, included 69,571 preschoolers residing in Longhua District, Shenzhen. Data on family social demographics, outdoor activity frequency and duration in children aged 0–3 years, and the anxiety symptoms of preschoolers were collected through parent-completed questionnaires. Anxiety symptoms were measured using the Chinese version of the Spence Preschool Anxiety Scale (SPAS), which assesses symptoms across various dimensions. The association between early childhood outdoor activity and anxiety symptoms in preschoolers was analyzed using a binary logistic regression model.
Results
Children 0–1 years of age who were outdoors < 1 times/week had a higher risk of screening positive for anxiety symptoms in preschool age compared with children who were outdoors ≥ 7 times/week (OR = 2.55, 95% confidence interval(CI): 2.22–2.94). Children in this age group who were outdoors < 30 min/session had a higher risk of screening positive for anxiety symptoms in preschool age compared with children who were outdoors ≥ 120 min/ session (OR = 1.62, 95%CI: 1.38–1.90). Children 1–3 years of age, who were outdoors < 1 time/week had a higher risk of screening positive for anxiety symptoms in preschool age compared with children who were outdoors ≥ 7 times/week, (OR = 3.10, 95%CI: 2.72–3.54). Children in this age group who were outdoors for < 30 min/session had a higher risk of screening positive for anxiety symptoms in preschool age compared with children who were outdoors time ≥ 120 min/ session (OR = 2.07, 95%CI: 1.73–2.48).
Conclusion
Lower frequency and shorter duration of outdoor activity during infancy (0–1 and 1–3 years) had higher odds of screening positive for anxiety symptoms in preschoolers. A frequency of ≥ 7 outdoor activity per week and a duration of ≥ 120 min/session during infancy were associated with lower levels of anxiety symptoms in preschoolers.These findings provide actionable insights for parents and caregivers, highlighting the importance of promoting outdoor activity in early childhood care and parenting practices. Future studies should further explore the causal relationship between outdoor activity and the prevention of anxiety.
Journal Article
Outdoor Time, Space, and Restrictions Imposed on Children’s Play in Australian Early Childhood Education and Care Settings during the COVID Pandemic: A Cross-Sectional Survey from Educators’ Perspective
The study aimed to investigate the impact of COVID-19 restrictions on children’s access to the outdoors in early childhood education and care (ECEC) settings. An online survey comprised of a standardised scale and questions used in previous related studies was completed by 143 early childhood educators across Australia. Participants were asked to report children’s time spent outdoors, access to outdoor space, and restrictions imposed on children’s play during the pandemic compared to the pre-pandemic period. The survey responses were imported into SPSS for descriptive, correlation, and ordinal regression analyses. We examined the relationship between children’s outdoor time, space, restrictions imposed on children’s play, and educators’ characteristics, such as qualifications, professional development, and tolerance of risk or staff–child ratios during the pandemic in Australia. Most educators reported that children’s outdoor time and access to outdoor space remained the same compared to before the pandemic, while imposed restrictions on children’s outdoor play increased. The results of ordinal regressions indicated that educators with a higher tolerance of risk were less likely to impose additional restrictions on children’s outdoor play. The findings contribute to the understanding of how educators’ tolerance of risk influences children’s outdoor play opportunities and provide directions for future risk-reframing interventions.
Journal Article
Potential social-environmental factors affecting ADHD symptoms of 55,528 children from Longhua district, Shenzhen, China
Objective
Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is one of the most prevalent neurodevelopmental disorders in childhood, frequently persisting into adolescence and adulthood. It is associated with a wide range of comorbid psychiatric and behavioral conditions. While emerging evidence suggests that social and environmental factors may influence the development and expression of ADHD symptoms, large-scale studies incorporating longitudinal data on early-life environmental exposures remain limited. Given the cross-sectional design of this study, we aimed to investigate the frequency and duration of outdoor activities among preschool children during infancy (0–1 years) and toddlerhood (1–3 years), and to examine their associations with ADHD symptoms.
Methods
A retrospective observational study was conducted using data collected from parents of children enrolled in 250 kindergartens across Longhua District, Shenzhen, China. A total of 59,600 questionnaires were distributed, assessing sociodemographic characteristics, outdoor activities frequency and duration. ADHD symptoms were evaluated using the hyperactivity/inattention subscale of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ).
Results
A total of 55,528 valid questionnaires were included in the final analysis. The overall prevalence of ADHD symptoms was 6.9%. Boys exhibited significantly higher ADHD symptom scores compared to girls (3.76 ± 1.96 vs. 3.42 ± 1.87,
P
< 0.001). Children from households with lower monthly income demonstrated higher ADHD symptom scores than those from higher-income families (
F
= 261.478,
P
< 0.001). There was a significant association between higher frequency and duration of outdoor activities and lower ADHD symptoms scores (
P
< 0.001).
Conclusion
Increased frequency and duration of outdoor activities during early childhood were associated with reduced ADHD symptoms in children. These findings suggest a potential association between early exposure to outdoor activities and lower levels of ADHD symptoms, particularly in densely populated urban areas where access to green spaces is limited. However, additional research is needed to explore the underlying mechanisms and long-term associations of early childhood outdoor activities with ADHD symptoms and other developmental outcomes.
Journal Article
The Effect of Outdoor Activity Intention on Depressive Mood: The Mediating Role of Outdoor Activity Frequency
Background: With rapid urbanization, mental health challenges such as depression and emotional distress are becoming increasingly common. Contact with natural environments has been shown to improve mental health, yet most studies focus on direct associations between environmental exposure and mental health. The behavioral mechanisms underlying these benefits remain underexplored. This study aims to investigate whether outdoor activity frequency mediates the relationship between individuals’ intention to engage in outdoor activities and depressive mood. Methods: We used data from the 2021 Chinese General Social Survey (CGSS). Drawing on the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) and supported by Stress Recovery Theory (SRT) and Attention Restoration Theory (ART), we constructed a mediation model. Ordinary Least Squares regression, ordered logistic regression, and mediation analysis were applied to assess the relationships among outdoor activity intention, activity frequency, and depressive mood. Results: The analyses revealed three main findings. First, outdoor activity intention alone did not directly reduce depressive mood. Second, outdoor activity frequency significantly alleviated depressive mood, suggesting that actual behavioral engagement with nature is critical. Third, the effect of outdoor activity intention on depressive mood was fully mediated by activity frequency. Conclusions: The results demonstrate that the mental health benefits of natural environments are not automatically derived from intention or preference but require active and frequent engagement. These findings provide empirical support for behavior-based interventions in urban mental health strategies and establish a theoretical foundation for future research on the pathways linking nature and mental health.
Journal Article
Rethinking recess : creating safe and inclusive playtime for all children in school
\"In Rethinking Recess, sociologist Rebecca A. London argues that recess has been overlooked as an essential part of the elementary school experience, with major implications for how well schools serve all students equitably and responsively\"-- Provided by publisher.
Book
Factors associated with insufficient outdoor play and physical activity participation among Chinese children aged 6–10 years: evidence from a two-wave survey
Purpose
This study investigated the risk factors associated with insufficient engagement of Chinese early school-aged children in outdoor activities, including play and physical activities.
Methods
Data were gathered from two waves of parent-proxy surveys. The analysis involved 1612 children (46.15% girls; mean age = 7.83 years) who had participated in outdoor activities. Responses were analyzed using Generalized Estimating Equations to identify relevant correlates impacting children’s outdoor play or outdoor physical activities. Children were assessed on their outdoor activities’ levels, and variables were analyzed for their impact on these levels.
Results
Maternal outdoor activity (< 1 h/day) and less clear requirements for outdoor activity are correlated with children’s outdoor play time (< 2 h/day) (
p
< 0.05). The number of outdoor playfields was also significantly associated with insufficient outdoor play, particularly on weekends (
p
< 0.05). For outdoor physical activities (< 1 h/day), the male gender of the child was a protective factor (OR = 0.33,
p
< 0.001), while paternal outdoor activity time (< 1 h/day) and unclear outdoor activity requirements were risk factors (
p
< 0.01).
Conclusions
The risk factors of insufficient engagement of Chinese early school-aged children in outdoor pursuits included the lack of time parents spend on outdoor activities, their unclear requirements, and the limited availability of outdoor spaces. Specifically, mothers’ outdoor activities time is linked to children’s outdoor play, while the male gender of the child and fathers’ outdoor activities are associated with children’s outdoor physical activities participation.
Journal Article