Nature play – a type of play which is unstructured and nature-based – generally occurs in environments which include such natural elements as plants, rocks, sand, etc. This literature review examined the impacts of nature play on the health and developmental outcomes of children. As the aim of the review was to identify the empirical evidence of nature play on child health and development, only quantitative primary research studies were considered.
Sixteen studies, all published between 2001 and 2018, met the inclusion criteria. The fact that no studies prior to 2001 were identified may reflect the relatively recent interest in nature play. The sample size for the included studies ranged from 8 to 97 and the age range from 2-9. Most of the studies were conducted in western countries. Assessment measures used to determine the impacts of nature play on children's health and development varied widely. Some studies focused on just one area of development; others used multiple outcome measures.
Outcome areas reported in this review include physical activity, health-related fitness, motor skill, cognitive learning, and social and emotional development. Overall findings suggest that nature play may have a positive impact on each of these areas of children's health and development. The evidence was strongest in the areas of physical activity and cognitive development. Yet, when nature play and play in traditional outdoor play spaces were compared, results -- in terms of physical activity -- were similar. Results relating to cognitive development indicate that nature play had consistent positive impacts in the related domains of imagination, creativity and dramatic play. There were, however, “significant methodological concerns” impacting the quality of the evidence. Sample bias, reporting of results, and the reliability and validity of outcome measures are examples of these methodological concerns. “Nevertheless, the findings and implications of this review make several contributions to the evidence base on nature play.”
Evidence from the 16 studies suggest that “the behaviors children engage in outdoors may be an important characteristic when comparing nature play and traditional play spaces.” Recommendations for future research and practice include developing a universal definition for nature play, developing standardized outcome measures, and conducting more research with robust designs. Also needed are standardized guidelines to inform practice and policy in the design of children's play spaces in different contexts.
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