Tackling Anxiety in the Playground!

Ask any child which part of the school day is their favourite, and it’s not hard to predict what most of them will tell you. Playtime, of course!

Thankfully the majority of us in this day and age are on board with the concept that playtime is not just for fun (although having fun is an important part of anyone’s day in its own right). ‘Done well’ play can be one of the very best ways for young children to learn through hands-on experiences, thinking on their feet instead of stuck in a chair.

And it goes much further than that. Affording children time outdoors to play, to exercise, and to spend time interacting and socialising with their peers, is absolutely essential for children’s physical health, mental health and wellbeing.

Why? Well, there are a whole number of reasons, but perhaps one of the most valuable take-aways to remember is that more often than not, it’s quite simply because the outdoors is somewhere where children can most be themselves. This goes a long way towards reducing anxiety.

Outdoor playtime brings the essential breathing space that, quite frankly, we all need. Fewer restrictions, room to move. And for children, there is just something about being outdoors that is a whole lot more exciting, even exhilarating, but ultimately calming, for them. Even at school, especially at school - the feeling of freedom in open space can bring a sense of happiness and wellbeing that is almost impossible to replicate indoors.

Unfortunately, however, for some children this isn’t always the case. Regardless of all the many health and wellbeing benefits that being outdoors can and should bring to children, the school playground can also be a place of real anxiety. Bullying? Yes - although schools are generally aware of this and have measures in place to prevent it, it can and does still happen.

One of the biggest issues, really, is that not all school playgrounds are designed, or playtimes structured, with inclusivity in mind. When inclusivity is at the forefront of playtime, the barriers to outdoor play for everyone fall away - and even the bullies can find better things to do with their time.

Not all schools have the resources, spaces or budget to completely reconfigure their outdoor spaces.  But the good news is that there are plenty of options for transforming playgrounds and play times quite simply - so that everyone gets to feel the benefit. 

Using the Outdoor Environment to Reduce Anxiety in School

Children may experience anxiety for a whole host of reasons. Over time, the school playground can be a wonderful environment for helping children to develop some of the skills and tools that can help them to manage the feelings and effects of anxiety.

Dealing with Risk

In addition to all the benefits of spending time outdoors, in nature and in the fresh air, the school playground is where some of the most essential elements of childhood development happen together.

One of those elements is the ability to deal with risk - exploring and managing risk in a safe environment is what gives children the confidence to tackle situations for themselves. It’s an important way to develop resilience, learning how to deal with the unknown - tackling some of the root causes of anxiety head-on.

Climbing is a great activity for this. A tree or a trim trail, climbing blocks or a climbing frame - anything where they need to think about where and how they’re positioning themselves to reach their destination, and where they’re challenged to find the courage to take that one step further or higher. 

Getting Together with Others

The playground is where groups of children come together and interact freely, notably more so than the classroom where they need to be quieter to work, listening to and following instructions.

Playtime is a wonderful opportunity for children to develop their social-emotional skills, making and building on friendships, developing empathy, experiencing positive relationships that help them to feel happier and more comfortable in who they are themselves, as well as considering how they treat others.

However, this does need an element of management or it can easily go wrong! Provided that children have a variety of good resources and activities to enjoy, all will (should!) be well.

Den building is a brilliant physical activity that is ideal for relationship building and helping children to connect. Through teamwork and problem solving together, children experience achievement - another great mood booster that brings joy and satisfaction and reduces anxiety. 

Building a den from scratch with natural resources, or transforming a wooden gazebo or outdoor classroom (usually preferable in inclement weather conditions!) - den building is a perfectly open-ended and great fun activity that can be used to build on learning themes and topics too.  

Busy Hands for Calmer Minds

You’ve probably noticed that anxious children can fiddle and fidget - a lot. If this is the case, it’s important to remember that fidgeting is indeed a coping mechanism, and can be a valuable way for a child to self-regulate. It’s easy to assume that if they’re fidgeting, they’re being distracted - but this is not necessarily the case. Fidgeting can really help some children to focus and stay in the present moment.

Construction play with loose parts brings many other benefits (motor skills and critical thinking!) along with free reign for children to fiddle, figure out, and fix. Using natural resources, building blocks, a combination of smaller and larger items for children to manipulate and make their own structures, this is something that everyone can get involved with in the playground.

Construction play is wonderfully accessible to everyone and as it’s so open-ended it can take many different forms - whether standing or sitting at a construction table, or getting down on the floor or in the sand. Children are free to build their own designs as they choose and can have fun doing something constructive together. Being freely creative in this way reduces anxiety and can help to reduce conflict in the playground too.

Messy Play is an opportunity to take advantage of the diversity of colours, textures and shapes afforded by outdoor landscapes. Mud kitchens, messy sand and water play, environmental art, anything they can get their hands into, it’s all powerful sensory stimulation and a valuable way to connect with the natural environment.

This kind of therapeutic, creative exploration allows children to open up, trying new things for themselves, testing their own boundaries and so building confidence in themselves and faith in their own ability. Introducing craft tools where safe and appropriate is another way to help children to learn how to manage risk.

Whether they’re making mud pies, petal potions or artistic displays, working alone affords them moments of calm and quiet reflection, and working in small groups is an opportunity to improve social wellbeing.

Back to Nature

Sometimes, helping children to feel less anxious can be as simple as taking them outdoors for a moment or two. Not to learn or play, but just to breathe in the fresh air. Connecting with nature can be an extremely powerful experience for children - a chance to put their worries aside, redirect their thoughts and find a new uplifting and calming sense of purpose.

Gardening activities are the perfect place to start if you’re looking for direction and something more ‘structured’ to do that can also be wonderfully unstructured! Gardening is often used as a therapeutic intervention for improving mental health. While busily planting, digging, growing, watering, nurturing and picking plants, children get to focus on the present moment, which can significantly reduce any negative thoughts and feelings they may be experiencing.

Taking care of their plants and watching them grow can bring a huge sense of pride and achievement. And, while learning hands-on about biology and life-cycles, climates and the environment, they’re building on their ability to communicate comfortably with others in a calm and relaxed environment.

Real-Life Fairy Tales

Whenever the opportunity to take reading time outdoors might present itself - we say just do it! Children are reading in school every day, and so reading outdoors brings the ‘perfect storm’ combination of experiencing the cognitive stimulation of reading, along with the calming effects of nature and natural daylight, every single day.

Outdoor reading even for just 15 minutes a day can help to reduce anxiety, improve focus and mood, recharge the mind and bring a real sense of happiness and wellbeing for children.

Reading in groups opens up essential opportunities for discussion around topics and themes in the book - teachers can pick and choose books to introduce discussion areas to children and help them to learn how to voice their thoughts and opinions. This may help them to feel more comfortable talking more openly about any worries they may be experiencing, when it’s within the context of a story, in a safe space, and they realise that they’re not alone.

Outdoor reading areas in schools are worth their weight in gold because they never go unused - they can support learning in all areas of the curriculum across all of the key stages, and everyone feels better for enjoying a good story outside.

Making Mood-Boosting Changes to Your School Grounds

If you would like to make some improvements to your playground to create a mood-boosting environment, we would love to help you. Our experienced team can work with you to design a fantastic space that perfectly suits your play and learning requirements. Contact Us to arrange a free, onsite, expert consultation.

Pentagon Play work in collaboration with experienced education professionals in order to create unique products and playgrounds that effectively support children across all areas of learning and development. For over 25 years, we have helped schools and nurseries across the UK to achieve exactly the outdoor play and learning environments that they require to suit their individual needs.

We offer a range of services, from supply and installation of individual playground products, to an entire redesign of the outdoor learning environment. We also have an online shop where you can buy some of our favourite products that don’t require a professional installation for delivery direct to your playground.