American author Helen Keller famously said “Life is either a daring adventure or nothing.” Adventure in the early years plays a pivotal role. A staple of a happy childhood, adventurous activities shape children’s cognitive, physical, emotional, and social development.
Choosing a school that prioritises adventure in the early years is an important consideration for parents. Whether it’s exploring the great outdoors, or engaging in imaginative play, adventure provides children with invaluable opportunities to learn, grow, and thrive.
In this article, we explore the profound impact adventure can have on young minds, laying the foundation for lifelong learning and success.
Connecting with nature
All the best childhood adventures take place in the great outdoors. Breathing in the fresh air, getting muddy, and topping up on vitamin D, can help to regulate stress and anxiety, calm the nervous system, and improve children’s concentration back in the classroom. Connecting to nature also helps to foster a strong sense of stewardship for the environment.
One school where outdoor learning is top of the agenda is Lichfield Cathedral Junior School in Staffordshire. Set in six acres of idyllic countryside, the School makes the most of its rural setting with a full programme of outdoor activities in the early years. This offers pupils an exciting environment to explore, investigate, and enjoy the freedom of adventure.
“Our aim is to teach our pupils a healthier, more balanced and more sustainable way of learning and living, and outdoor education enables children to understand and enjoy their part in the integrated, cyclical system of nature,” noted Joanna Churton, Head of the Junior School.
Boosting cognitive development
Young children learn through exploration and experimentation. Adventure exposes them to new experiences, environments, and challenges, which stimulate their cognitive development.
When children engage in adventurous activities their brains are actively processing information, making connections, and forming new neural pathways. This helps them to build important skills such as problem solving, decision-making, and critical thinking.
Adventures often expose children to new and unfamiliar situations, which help to teach them to adapt, learn from their experiences, and develop resilience.
Inspiring creativity and imagination
Adventure provides opportunities for children to use their imaginations – helping to expand their creativity. Whether it’s pretending to build a rocket ship and fly to the moon, or hunting for minibeasts in the playground, adventure fosters imaginative play and encourages children to see the world in new ways.
“We are introducing the Harmony approach to our curriculum, where enquiry-based learning encourages pupils to ask good questions, which is an extremely powerful way of opening up journeys of exploration and imagination. It brings together multiple skills and subjects, helping pupils to see their lives and the natural world around them through different lenses,” explained Joanna Churton.
Fostering physical development
From climbing trees, to long woodland walks, adventure often involves physical activity. This helps children to develop their gross motor skills, coordination, and strength, whilst having fun.
Allowing children to explore their physical capabilities also helps young children to develop a sense of confidence in their capabilities.
Adventurous activities not only build a strong foundation for physical fitness but also help to instil healthy habits that can last a lifetime.
Building emotional resilience
Adventure in the early years is essential for teaching children to navigate life’s challenges with confidence and adaptability. Adventures often present obstacles and learning to overcome them fosters resilience and coping skills.
Adventures encourage children to step outside their comfort zone, allowing them to take risks, overcome fears, and deal with uncertainty and setbacks. This provides valuable opportunities to teach children how to regulate and manage their emotions and responses.
Emotional development is one of the prime areas of learning in the early years at Lichfield Cathedral School. Joanna Churton notes: “The health and wellbeing of our pupils is paramount and part of creating a mentally healthy learning environment is promoting our School values and encouraging a sense of belonging. By helping children to recognise and understand their emotions, supporting them to manage setbacks, taking pride in their academic and non-academic achievements and by providing opportunities to take responsibility for themselves and others, LCS pupils grow in self-confidence and become resilient, enthusiastic learners.”
Developing social skills
Adventures provide lots of opportunities for children to work in a team. Whether it’s hunting for clues on a treasure map, or building a fort, adventures help children to develop social skills such as communication, empathy, and cooperation.
Adventurous activities also allow children to practise taking turns, listen actively, and respect others’ perspectives. Building children’s emotional intelligence, this lays the foundation for positive relationships and effective communication throughout life.
This is a sponsored post created in collaboration with Lichfield Cathedral School an independent school for boys and girls aged 2–18 in Staffordshire.
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