Outdoor Psychomotor Activities: Bringing Children to Nature

Abstract

Due to the dominating passive consumption of audio-visual media, children today spend less time being active in nature. Sedentary behavior may lead to severe health problems like being overweight or obese, whereas positive effects of physical activity are well proven. Physical activity outdoors seems to result in additional positive effects. Therefore, it may be regarded as a public health issue to bring children back to nature and encourage them to be physically active in this setting. The following article discusses how the child-centered approach of psychomotricity can be transferred to natural surroundings. Central to this approach is the experience of self-efficacy. Outdoor environments offer numerous starting points to implement psychomotor sessions; practical options are exemplified below.