Does a nurturing approach that uses an outdoor play environment build resilience in children from a challenging background?

Abstract

b Nature Nurture Project, UK Children from challenging backgrounds were brought to a woodland for a programme that sought to promote resilience at Camphill School. This qualitative study of one programme uses an ethnographic approach to research the effectiveness of this type of intervention. Case studies of three of the children are used to illustrate the ways in which resilience has been stimulated using the PERIK observation scale. The nurturing and outdoor dimensions of the project are considered instrumental in promoting resilience in early years children from a challenging background.

‘That’s given me a bit more hope’ – adolescent girls’ experiences of Forest School

“…The outcome of the program's effort to build resilience was evident in participants' discussions of being able to handle stress, daily struggles, and conflict better due to improved mood and having an increased understanding of their own and others' feelings. Similar improvements in resilience were found in another Scottish study by McArdle, Harrison, and Harrison (2013), which looked at a 10-week outdoor education program for children aged 4-5 years from challenging backgrounds such as homes with drug addiction and domestic abuse. The researchers noted improvements in areas such as social communication, emotional stability, focus, empathy and ability to cope with challenges, and believed this was due to the impact of being outdoors, the nurturing nature of the program, risk taking and being able to play openly (McArdle, Harrison, and Harrison 2013).…”

“…Similar improvements in resilience were found in another Scottish study by McArdle, Harrison, and Harrison (2013), which looked at a 10-week outdoor education program for children aged 4-5 years from challenging backgrounds such as homes with drug addiction and domestic abuse. The researchers noted improvements in areas such as social communication, emotional stability, focus, empathy and ability to cope with challenges, and believed this was due to the impact of being outdoors, the nurturing nature of the program, risk taking and being able to play openly (McArdle, Harrison, and Harrison 2013). Additionally, the positive changes in this study and the current study were seen in a short span of time (less than a year) as the girls were finishing off their second twelve-week block (with summer holidays between the two).…”

Position Statement on Active Outdoor Play

“…Gray cites evidence indicating that play deprivation contributes to a reduced sense of personal control, reduced ability to control emotions, increased social isolation, and reduced happiness [ 146 ]. Furthermore, it has been shown that natural environments are sensory-rich environments that contribute to problem-solving skills, self-regulation, and resilience [ 149 , 150 ] and the natural outdoors fosters creative thinking [ 151 ].…”

The Power of Purposeful Play in Primary Grades: Adjusting Pedagogy for Children’s Needs and Academic Gains

“…Schools are not seeing the student gains sought by education reforms. Researchers and practitioners know that purposeful play is aligned with recent neuroeducation findings about the effects of poverty on developing minds and can reduce stress, build critical social-emotional skills, and better support our most fragile learners academically (i.e., Armin et al, 2017; Barros et al, 2009; Blom et al, 2011; Cremin et al, 2015; Fisher, 1992; Fisher et al, 2010; Hassinger-Das et al, 2016; James-Burdumy et al, 2013; Jarrett, 2002; Lillard et al, 2012; Massey et al, 2017; McArdle et al, 2013; Mullender-Wijnsma et al, 2015; Nolan et al, 2014; Pellegrini, 2013; Ranz-Smith, 2007; Russo, 2013; Sandberg & Heden, 2011; White, 2013). Early childhood (EC) educators must demand a shift to purposeful play based on recent neuroscientific findings, the connections to poverty-linked deficits, and play’s promise to boost school readiness and academic achievement.…”