Outdoor Play in Creation Time/Tide

 

On Saturday we will get together with our three adult children, their partners, and our four grandchildren at a Provincial Park. Hurray! Even though they are all within a couple of hours of us we tend to be a herd of cats when it comes to all of us being in the same place at the same time.

Because there are children involved we'll explore around, play games, and generally have fun outdoors. Our location is alongside Lake Ontario so we may see migrating Monarch butterflies. 

 What about seniors and outdoor play? We will certainly participate in the activities but what about beyond the few hours we're together? I heard an interview yesterday with Eun-Young Lee, associate professor at Queen's University who with her team just issued a study showing how outdoor play is beneficial to people of all ages. 

I have to agree with these findings from my humble, anecdotal, perspective. We do our best to get outside to cycle, paddle, walk, and swim as often as possible. We still attempt winter sports, when we can find snow. We figure that we cycled farther and swam more often this summer than we have since our youth. Most of the swimming was in lakes, along with a bracing dip in the North Atlantic. 

I go to the gym on a regular basis but being in a weight room with no windows is not my favourite form of exercise by any stretch. There is something so wonderful about being outdoors, whether it is purposeful or random play. We can constantly see, hear, feel the gifts of Creation through the seasons and working on our geezerly fitness while we're at it. It doesn't get old, even though we are. We figure that getting out into nature a lot during the COVID pandemic saved our sanity. I am very grateful that we both enjoy good health, although some days I could be the guy in the cartoon below.

Multigenerational play never disappoints either. What a timely reminder during this liturgical season of Creation Time/Tide! 

                                            Eun-Young Lee, associate professor at Queen's University

Here is a description of the study from the Kingston Whig Standard: 

According to new global research by Outdoor Play Canada, playing in the outdoors is as advantageous for adults as it is for children and should be incorporated into all that we do.

A three-year study, which featured consultations with more than 200 global experts representing all inhabited continents, found outdoor play promotes confidence, facilitates ongoing learning, and encourages a sense of community and belonging, among many other benefits.

The research is included in the Global Position Statement on Active Outdoor Play and was released at the Breath of Fresh Air (BFA) Outdoor Play Summit, taking place September 25–27, in Ottawa.

Those leading the development of the statement say the evidence is clear: outdoor play is a powerful, practical way to address many of the challenges we face globally. The 2025 statement builds on the original study, released a decade ago, but this time other factors were considered.

Eun-Young Lee, associate professor at Queen’s University and visiting professor at Yonsei University (South Korea), helped lead the development of the Global Position Statement on Active Outdoor Play,.

“What we did this time was to link active outdoor play to the potential for solving global challenges like climate change, mental health issues, digital addiction and equity issues,” Lee said. “My team is hoping to bring active outdoor play back to life because we are losing it, but at the same time, we ask how we can solve these global challenges by getting people active in nature.”