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.
It is often hypothesised that neighbourhood green space may help prevent well-known declines in physical activity and increases in sedentary behaviour that occur across childhood. As most studies in this regard are cross-sectional, the purpose of our study was to use longitudinal data to examine whether green space promotes active lifestyles as children grow older.
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Studies have shown that natural environments can enhance health and here we build upon that work by examining the associations between comprehensive greenspace metrics and health.
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In this paper, the author talks about young teenage girls’ hanging out at the shopping mall. The author approaches hanging out as ‘dwelling with’ commercial spaces by thinking of it as 1) a meaningful practical engagement, and as 2) marking and claiming spaces as one’s own. Hanging out with friends often goes on without much reflection, but it is deeply affectual.
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Abstract Outdoor preschools are critical for children’s play and development. Integrating observational and interview methods, this study examined four-to-five-year-old children’s cognitive play experiences in an outdoor preschool with natural, mixed and manufactured zones. The observational results indicated that the natural and mixed zones offered a diverse spectrum of cognitive play, were supportive of different learning […]
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Physical activity (PA) and sedentary lifestyle have been widely associated with specific physiological effects in adolescents. However, the relation of physical activity and a sedentary lifestyle with self-perceived health, pain, and well-being is less evident, and sometimes gender differences generate contradictory results.
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Abstract This study aims to enhance awareness of what young children want to do outside and their preferences regarding their outdoor environment. Views of children as active participants, the affordance of the environment and the importance of place for children’s learning constitute the theoretical background of the study. The study was part of a research […]
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The aims of this paper are to provide normative data for primary school-age children from various regions in Australia, to identify secular trends in the data over three decades, to focus on results for selected schools that have adopted varied levels of commitment to the physical education program and finally, to demonstrate a way forward to improve the fitness and skill levels of children.
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Pre-adolescent girls are an important target population for physical activity behaviour change as it may enhance tracking into the crucial period of adolescence. The quantification of intervention effectiveness for this age group of girls has not been previously reported.
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Because girls are less physically active than boys, it is important to understand the types of activities preferred by girls, and changes in those preferences over time, in order to design effective physical activity interventions.
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The purpose of this research was to investigate the effect of a six-month teacher-led osteogenic physical activity program, vs. a self-led activity program, on ultrasound measurements of bone in inactive teenage girls.
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