Why Outdoor Play Is Essential For Children

Stumped on ideas for getting the kids out of the house? Outdoor play is the ultimate way to get kids away from screens and start exploring the outside world. Not only will they have a tree-mendous time playing around in the dirt or sand, but outdoor play has many benefits for your child’s development and learning. In this blog, we’ll delve into why outdoor play is essential for children, how it can benefit their education and wellbeing, and show off a few of our favourite outdoor play toys.

What is outdoor play?

Put simply, outdoor play is any activity that takes place outdoors and enhances children’s education and development. This could be anything from digging dirt with a spade in the garden, finding creatures in the woods with a bug catcher kit or making sandcastles at the beach. The possibilities are as wide as the great outdoors! 

Outdoor play is essential for children’s health and development, and yet many kids aren’t getting enough time outdoors. In fact, research reported by the BBC in February 2025 suggests that ‘the amount of time children spend outside has declined by 50% in a generation’. This report suggests that a mixture of reasons, from too much screen time to lack of outdoor play facilities and opportunities, may be to blame for this. Not to fear, we have plenty of outdoor play ideas to help you get your tots outside! But first, let us guide you through the incredible benefits of outdoor play. 

What are the benefits of outdoor play and learning?

Improves physical health 

Getting outdoors on a walk is a great way to keep your little ones fit and active in a simple way. You could combine this walk with some outdoor exploration, such as examining bugs and plants to keep them engaged. Additionally, outdoor activities such as planting seeds in the garden and playing with sand pits toys can help kids to develop their motor skills and dexterity, helping them grow up big and strong! 

Boosts mental health 

We be-leaf in you! Whether its a wander in the woods, a sandcastle competition or a family day at the allotment, outdoor play is great for children's mental wellbeing. Many studies have shown that being outdoors and amongst nature is excellent for reducing anxiety and stress. Outdoor play activities like gardening can be a fabulous way for kids to unwind and even boost their confidence and self-esteem as they learn new skills.

Encourages nature and science learning

With outdoor play, kids can learn more about nature and the world around them. They can discover different plants and flowers, and learn about the importance of animals like bees and butterflies in our ecosystem. Introduce your budding scientist to concepts like solids and liquids whilst playing with water and sand toys outside. 

Develops social skills 

Playing outside provides a fantastic opportunity for group activities. Kids can work with friends and family to build the biggest sandcastle or figure out which bug they've caught. By putting their heads together, children can learn key communication skills like empathy and cooperation as well as develop their problem-solving abilities. 

Gives kids a dose of Vitamin D

Get the sunglasses out! Vitamin D is an essential vitamin that helps to keep kids' bones, muscles and teeth nice and healthy, and our best source of vitamin D is the sun. This vital vit is linked to happiness and children's cognitive development, so put on some sun lotion and get playing outdoors. 

Do kids need to go outside every day? 

Ideally, children should be spending a lot of time playing outdoors every day, with the amount of time depending on the age of the child. For infants and toddlers, aim for 30-60 minutes with the goal of getting to 3 hours a day. Preschool age kids should be getting at least 3 hours of physical activity (including outdoor play), and school-aged children require somewhere around 3 hours of outdoor play each day.

Don't worry if that all sounds overwhelming! We know that realistically, it can be tricky to get kids to play outdoors rather than sitting watching TV shows or playing on a tablet, so we've lined up excellent tips below to help encourage your little one to get involved in outdoor play. 

Tips for Encouraging Outdoor Play:

• Start slowly: Begin with small amounts of time outside and gradually increase the duration of outdoor play.

• Reduce screen time: Set limits on devices or make rules where kids can't use phones and tablets when they're doing outdoor activities. 

• Follow the leader: Kids are more likely to enjoy outdoor play if they see others having fun outside. Parents and guardians should get involved in any activities and lead by example (get your wellies on Mum and Dad!). 

• Create a fun, personalised environment: Provide lots of different tools and toys and suggest outdoor play activities that line up with your child's interests or you think they might enjoy the most. 

Our Best Outdoor Play Toys

Adventure is out there! From kids garden toys to beach tools and water play accessories, your mini explorers will love our range of outdoor play toys.

Garden Toys

Gardening Starter Pack (Red)

Grow your little one's interest in outdoor play with the Gardening Starter Pack. This garden toy set comes with a bold red bucket and watering can, a gardening belt with a spade, fork and gloves, along with an adorable apron decorated with a little ladybird friend. Also available in Green, our Gardening Starter Pack is fabulous for encouraging toddlers to get involved in outdoor play and promotes learning about nature and the environment. 

Short-Handled Gardening Tool Bundle 

Your little sprouts will love helping grown-ups in the garden with this wonderful Short Handled Tool Bundle. This fabulous outdoor play equipment for kids comes with 7 green gardening tools, perfect for planting and tending your crops. This gardening set features our short-handled spade and shovel, a small tote bag, watering can, fork, spade and gloves. Our short-handled set is not only fantastic for outdoor play but also teaches children responsibility as they tend to their plants and flowers. Ideal for encouraging your kiddo's motor skills as they enjoy watering, digging, weeding and more!

Beach Toys

Silicone Beach Toys Bundle (3 Pieces)

Oh, we do like to be beside the seaside! Keep your little ones entertained on holiday with this eco-friendly 3 Piece Beach Toys Bundle. This sunny set comes with a food-grade silicone bucket & frisbee, and a spade made from wheat fibre plastic for a safe and earth-conscious outdoor playtime.

The frisbee toy makes a great outdoor game and helps kids to develop their hand-eye coordination, whilst the little spade and bucket promote dexterity and fine motor skills as children dig around in the sand. These beautiful beach toys for kids are fantastic for portable play, as they can be easily collapsed and packed into beach bags and suitcases. Great for curious little ones to explore the sand, sea and beyond. 

Silicone Beach Toys Bundle (5 Pieces) 

Superb for sandpit and beach play, our 5 Piece Toys Bundle is packed with everything you need for an afternoon of outdoor fun. This exclusive outdoor play set includes our Activity Bucket, Eco Spade, Flexible Flyer (Frisbee), Watering Can and Sand Moulds. Our kids beach toys are designed for small hands and allow little ones to improve their grip and motor skills. These terrific tools are stain-resistant and foldable for easy cleaning and storing, so your little one can get messy at the seaside with less mess. Although that might not apply to their clothes! 

Outdoor Exploration 

Rainbow Bloom - Colour-Changing Water Activity Set (Blue)

Kids will be amazed by the magical Rainbow Bloom Colour Changing Water Activity Set from Green Toys. Ideal for outdoor play, watch in awe as the fruit and veg miraculously transform as you pour water over the harvesting basket. This kids water play set features a blue watering can, a basket and 10 fruits and vegetables to enjoy. Green Toys' extraordinary Activity Set boosts young children's understanding of concepts like cause and effect and helps them with their colour recognition. The Colour Changing Set is a science meets creative toy and is perfect for playing with outside in the garden or on the go on a hot day.

Multi View Magnifier

Marvel at minibeasts with our Multi View Magnifier! This little bug catcher is great for outdoor play and exploration as kids capture creepy crawlies and inspect insects. Simply place your bug friend on the green base and put the additional magnifying glass on top to view. Two people (big kids too!) can examine their findings at the same time with the top and side viewports. The Multiview Magnifier was created to develop kids' nature knowledge and understanding of the outdoor world. Why not write down your observations in a notebook for some extra science and nature learning?

Mud Kitchen 

Make a mud pie, prepare dirt dishes and soil sandwiches with our incredible new Mud Kitchen. Sustainably made, this mud kitchen for kids features two shelves, a double worktop, hobs and a sink to enjoy some outdoor play 'cooking' with. Mini mucky chefs can write up their recipes on the little blackboard and pour water through the tap on the yellow bucket. Our magnificent messy kitchen also comes with mud kitchen accessories like stainless steel pans, plant pots and wooden utensils. 

Messy outdoor play is essential for children in their early years as it fosters creativity and curiosity, supports sensory development and encourages open-ended exploration. Have fun cooking up a storm with this marvellous mud kitchen! 

More Outdoor Play Equipment

Unearth more of our incredible outdoor play tools and toys on our website. Have you got some great photos of your little adventurer? If you’ve nabbed something from our outdoor range and have a few fab snaps to share, tag us on Instagram at: @bigjigstoys