Research

Research into the importance of nature play, learning outdoors, risk-taking and children's mental and physical health and wellbeing forms the basis for the work we do.

Here you'll find the latest scientific research that shows the benefits of nature play for our children!

Use the Search function, or click on a keyword in Resource Categories to find research about a particular subject.

Nature Play WA's Research

Outdoor Learning, Outdoor Play and the School Environment Literature Review

By Katherine Healy | June 21, 2023 | Comments Off on Outdoor Learning, Outdoor Play and the School Environment Literature Review

Nature Play WA undertook a comprehensive literature review for the Education Department of WA that considers three critical elements to improving student experience and learning in school settings: outdoor learning, outdoor play and the school environment.

Digital Wellbeing Literature Review

By Katherine Healy | April 7, 2021 | Comments Off on Digital Wellbeing Literature Review

Nature Play WA, in conjunction with researchers from the Telethon Kids Institute, has created a ‘what you need to know’ guide for parents on the impacts of excessive screen time, highlighting new and relevant research in a clear and easy-to-understand manner.

Muddy Hands Australia Report

By Katherine Healy | February 11, 2021 | Comments Off on Muddy Hands Australia Report

This report, written to support Australia’s Outdoor Classroom Day, sets out not only a snapshot report on how much more playtime Australian children are getting compared to everyone else, but also an overview of why outdoor learning and play is so very important.

Curated Research

Bedtime Use of Technology and Associated Sleep Problems in Children

Children comprise one of the largest consumer groups of technology. Sleep is fundamental to optimal functioning during childhood, including health and behaviour. The purpose of this study was to explore bedtime electronic use and its impact on 3 health consequences—sleep quantity and quality, inattention, and body mass index.

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The Effects of the Natural Environment on Attention and Family Cohesion: An Experimental Study

This study explored 1) mothers’ and middle-childhood daughters’ attention after exposure to two different environments, and 2) their quality of family cohesion.

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Increases in Depressive Symptoms, Suicide-Related Outcomes, and Suicide Rates Among U.S. Adolescents After 2010 and Links to Increased New Media Screen Time

Adolescents who spent more time on new media (including social media and electronic devices such as smartphones) were more likely to report mental health issues, and adolescents who spent more time on nonscreen activities (in-person social interaction, sports/exercise, homework, print media, and attending religious services) were less likely.

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In search of features that constitute an “enriched environment” in humans: Associations between geographical properties and brain structure

Enriched environments elicit brain plasticity in animals. In humans it is unclear which environment is enriching. Researchers set out to identify geographical characteristics that constitute an enriched environment affecting the human brain.

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Kids in space: Measuring children’s residential neighborhoods and other destinations using activity space GPS and wearable camera data

Defining the boundary of children’s ‘neighborhoods’ has important implications for understanding the contextual influences on child health. Additionally, insight into activities that occur outside people’s neighborhoods may indicate exposures that place-based studies cannot detect.

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Lifelong Residential Exposure to Green Space and Attention: A Population-based Prospective Study

Researchers evaluated the association between lifelong residential exposure to green space and attention during preschool and early primary school years.

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The playful city: constructing a typology for urban design interventions

This article explores the intersection of scholarly findings on adult play with ludic urban interventions (those encouraging spontaneous and undirected playfulness). Playful urban design answers our innate need to explore, discover, experiment and even test our mental and physical boundaries.

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Pragmatic evaluation of the Go2Play Active Play intervention on physical activity and fundamental movement skills in children

Active play is a novel approach to addressing low physical activity levels and fundamental movement skills (FMS) in children. This study aimed to determine if a new school-based, ‘Go2Play Active Play’ intervention improved school day physical activity and FMS.

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Elementary physical education: A focus on fitness activities and smaller class sizes are associated with higher levels of physical activity

Optimizing physical activity during physical education is necessary for children to achieve daily physical activity recommendations. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship among various contextual factors with accelerometer measured physical activity during elementary physical education.

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Global kids study: More trees, less disease

A University of Vermont-led study of 300,000 children in 35 nations says kids whose watersheds have greater tree cover are less likely to experience diarrheal disease, the second leading cause of death for children under the age of five.

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