Time spent outdoors in early childhood may offer long-term benefits for children’s social, cognitive, and academic functioningWhile research indicates that time in nature supports cognitive and self-regulation capabilities, the long-term benefits of nature exposure on such outcomes for children remain unclear. Little is also known about potential mechanisms or pathways which account for the relationship between exposure to nature in early childhood and later cognitive functioning. This study aimed to investigate a) if time spent outdoors during preschool was associated with attentional control and academic performance during early adolescence, and b) whether this relationship was direct or indirect. The indirect pathways explored included a “cognitive pathway” (i.e., improved working memory and reduced inattention/hyperactivity symptoms) and a “social pathway” (i.e., increased prosocial behavior and peer group acceptance).
Families with a child (age 12-78 months) enrolled in a childcare center in a suburban area of Norway were invited to participate in the study. Researchers determined the number of daily hours each child spent outdoors between the ages of 2 and 6 years. At ages 4, 5, 6 and 7 years, assessments were conducted for working memory, inattention-hyperactivity, and prosocial behavior. Peer acceptance was assessed at ages 5, 6 and 7 years and academic achievement data was obtained from standardized reading and math tests at age 13-14 years. Participants also completed an attentional control assessment between the ages of 12–16 years. The final longitudinal data set involved 251 children (108 boys and 143 girls). Statistical analysis tested whether early childhood outdoor time at daycare predicted academic achievement and attentional control during early adolescence while controlling for potential influencers of the data, which included family functioning and parental psychological health, socio-economic status, quality of daycare, sex, age, and time spent outdoors in adolescence.
Findings indicate that children who spent more time outdoors in daycare had significantly less inattention-hyperactivity, as well as significantly better working memory and prosocial behavior in early childhood (ages 4–7 years) than children who spent less time outdoors in daycare. No relationship was detected between time spent outdoors in daycare and peer acceptance in early childhood. Children who spent more time outdoors in daycare demonstrated significantly better attentional control in early adolescence (ages 12–16 years). Children who spent more time outdoors in daycare were also more likely to show greater academic achievement in early adolescence, but this relationship did not reach statistical significance. Children with high levels of working memory in early childhood tended to have higher levels of both academic achievement and attentional control in early adolescence. Children with less inattention-hyperactivity in early childhood also tended to have higher levels of attentional control, but not academic achievement, in early adolescence.
Analysis also tested for the direct and indirect effects of outdoor time in daycare. Outdoor time in daycare was found to have a significant direct positive effect on attentional control, but not academic achievement, in early adolescence. Time spent outdoors was also found to significantly, but indirectly, effect academic achievement in adolescence through improved working memory in early childhood. No indirect effects of outdoor time were detected for academic achievement or attentional control through inattention-hyperactivity, prosocial behavior, or peer acceptance pathways. Overall, these findings support the cognitive pathway and suggest that “exposure to outdoor environments may enhance cognitive development by fostering children’s mental abilities.”
The researchers conclude that outdoor time at childcare centers may provide social and cognitive short-term benefits, while also “offering direct benefits for attentional control and indirect benefits for academic achievement in the long term.” Thus, spending time outdoors in early childhood settings may be a feasible approach to supporting children’s social, cognitive, and academic functioning, with potential long-term benefits. Results support the implementation of outdoor activities and nature-based learning for young children; however, further research using experimental interventions is needed to better understand the impact of time spent outdoors.
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