Choose Outdoor Adventure this #MentalHealthAwarenessWeek

Less than half of the nation’s children and young people are getting the recommended amount of physical activity each day. According to Sport England’s ‘Active Lives for Children and Young People’ survey, published at the end of last year, 53% of children are not meeting the Chief Medical Officer’s guidelines. For some children, screen-time can get in the way and for others being active feels like a chore, but, getting the recommended 60 minutes (for 5 to 18 year olds) of moderate physical activity each day is transformational for mental health. Stressed children are more withdrawn, anxious and depressed, which is compounded by a lack of activity causing lethargy.

Given it is Mental Health Awareness week and the theme is ‘movement’, we want to highlight how outdoor adventure can engage children in being active with the added benefit of being immersed in nature, which, according to the Mental Health Foundation, “can generate many positive emotions, such as calmness, joy, and creativity”.

Here’s how outdoor adventure provides children and young people with the perfect setting to improve their mental and physical health.

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Nature as a backdrop

Possibilities to feel empowered by nature are endless, away from more structured PE lessons and competitive sport, children have the freedom to express themselves without rules and limits. Getting outdoors improves mood, enhances wellbeing and provides possibilities to embark on new experiences. Outdoor adventure could be following a woodland trail and spotting the local wildlife (check out our bird spotting blog) The Big Schools' Birdwatch | News & Blogs | Kingswood; finding items to build an insect house or treehouse for the more adventurous; Geocaching and discovering items in hidden outdoor locations; beachcombing your local shoreline, or heading out on an evening walk and stargazing. It’s the act of being immersed in nature whilst exercising that significantly lowers levels or poor mental health. Stepping up the pace also goes a long way in improving mental health by helping diminish feelings of anxiety.

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Green spaces are a gateway to adventure

Tumbling hills and enchanted forests are not accessible to everyone, but there are always local parks or other green spaces that, with some imagination, can inspire children to feel more adventurous, and more mindful whilst taking in their green surrounds.

Getting outdoors really has the greatest impact on our mental health, something that was solidified for many of us during the pandemic lockdowns. A report by the British Medical Council states “access to local green spaces increases the probability that people will achieve the recommended physical activity guidelines by over four times”. Read more about how Kingswood aim to inspire active outdoor lives in a report by our Head of Impact, Dr John Allan Inspiring active outdoor lives | News & Blogs | Kingswood

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Life-changing benefits of play

Play improves children’s health, emotional wellbeing and fosters imagination. Children learn about themselves and the world through play. It is vital in improving cognitive, social, physical and emotional development. Green exercise and play, such as, running, skipping or riding a bicycle, improve balance, coordination and stamina whilst nurturing confidence, self-esteem and resilience. Play and challenge creates wonderful learning experiences. For example, riding a bike for the first time is a challenge that can also be a life changing lesson when faced with future challenges, such as, driving a car for the first time or passing a test. The lesson in riding a bike illustrates that if you set yourself a goal, no matter how hard the challenge, it is something you can succeed at, overcoming the difficulty of balancing or riding without stabilisers. It’s a lasting lesson with transferable gains. Outdoor play also helps children improve their social skills by working together in team (building a den, for example), learning how to best express themselves, and have greater self-awareness.    

Outdoor adventure is a means to improving both mental and physical health, and the greatest part is, it is accessible to everyone right now.

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Outdoor adventure education

Kingswood’s mission is to deliver life changing experiences for children and young people through outdoor adventure. Transferable learning that is harnessed from making it to the top of a challenging climbing tower or building a raft with friends and racing it across a lake, are opportunities for an immediate change in personal growth. Evidence-based research, published in our peer-reviewed ‘Journal of Adventure Education and Outdoor Learning’, showed that 94% of young people said they felt more self-confident because of their Kingswood trip.

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For more info on #MentalHealthAwarenessWeek, head to the Mental Health Foundation's website.

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