Article Link: http://exchangepress.com/article/caring-for-the-little-ones-more-fun-outside/5012820/
People responded to our e-mail network question about outside play with infants and toddlers with many great ideas and much enthusiasm. Everyone mentioned the benefits of fresh air and nature - the feeling of the sun and the breeze on your face, sounds and smells of nature - as well as the benefits of being able to run, yell, and be free. Most agree that getting infants outside has more challenges than bringing toddlers out; however, both ages benefit with better energy, mood, and sleep.Dawn Tull, a training consultant in Oklahoma City, reminds us that a change of scenery can be very beneficial, especially if a child has been having a bad day. "It seems to be a mood changer for little people. I think that we as teachers need to rethink going outside with infants. At first I thought it meant the same thing as going out with twos or older children - at a certain time every day, a certain playground, certain children. With infants, it could really be done any way. It would not need to be as long as with twos; in fact, it would need to be very short in the beginning. Sometimes we need to ...