There’s a growing recognition that children need to develop a range of skills aside from fostering academic abilities.
A recent blog for Harvard Health Publishing made some recommendations of things that parents can do to ensure their children grow up with the skills they need to function and succeed in the world as adults.
Several of the suggestions, such as allowing children to be independent and building social skills, can be achieved through participation in outdoor activities in Cheshire or wherever you live.
For instance, climbing might appear to be a solo sport, but you need to work as part of a team to keep one another safe by spotting and belaying those who are on the wall.
Encouraging curiosity and creativity is another area that parents can help their children by encouraging them to spend time outdoors. Activities like bushcraft and raft building can help children learn more about the world around them, and help them develop problem solving skills at the same time.
There is much research to support the idea that spending time in the great outdoors is good for our mental as well as our physical health. Getting your children involved in these outdoor activities at an early age can show them just how beneficial being outside can be.
It could lead to a lifelong passion for nature, which helps them unwind in times of stress, for instance. Fostering resilience was another skill named in the Harvard blog post, with the publication noting this is vital to “manage adversity, to deal with setbacks and failure and get back up again”.
