The Power of Outdoor Play at Bloomsbury Academy

Why fresh air, free movement, and messy hands matter

At Bloomsbury Academy, we believe outdoor play is more than just recess—it’s a vital part of a child’s growth, especially in an urban environment. In a fast-paced, screen-filled city like Toronto, outdoor time offers children the space to move freely, explore their surroundings, and engage with the world in ways that indoor settings simply can’t provide. Whether it’s building coordination, sparking curiosity, or supporting emotional regulation, outdoor play helps city kids thrive—body, mind, and spirit. Studies show that children who spend regular time outdoors tend to have better attention spans and lower stress levels.

Learning Through Movement
Running, jumping, climbing, digging—these are critical for developing gross motor skills, balance, and coordination. Children strengthen their bodies while also learning how to navigate space, assess risk, and gain confidence in their physical abilities. Even simple activities like stacking rocks or scooping sand help build endurance and refine movement planning—skills they’ll use in the classroom and beyond. According to research published in the Journal of Adventure Education and Outdoor Learning, active outdoor play improves executive functioning, which directly impacts learning outcomes.

Building Social and Emotional Skills
Outdoor play naturally brings children together. Time spent in green outdoor spaces has been linked to reduced symptoms of anxiety and depression in young children. Whether they’re taking turns on the slide or teaming up to build a fort, they’re learning how to communicate, cooperate, and solve problems together. These interactions help foster empathy, patience, and a sense of community. It's also a valuable outlet for emotional regulation. Open spaces and physical activity help children process big feelings and return to the classroom calm, focused, and ready to learn.

Encouraging Curiosity and Creativity
Unstructured outdoor environments spark imaginative play. A patch of dirt can become a construction site, a tree stump a pirate ship, and a puddle an entire adventure. Open-ended outdoor play has been shown to boost creativity and critical thinking—children in outdoor-rich programs tend to score higher on measures of divergent thinking. We see firsthand how time outside inspires curiosity; children ask questions, test ideas, and make discoveries on their own terms.

Encouraging Risky Play
At Bloomsbury, we also recognize the value of risky play—activities that involve a healthy dose of challenge, such as climbing, balancing, or navigating uneven play surfaces. While the word “risky” can sound intimidating, research shows that age-appropriate risk helps children develop resilience, problem-solving skills, and risk assessment abilities. When children are allowed to test their limits in a safe and supervised environment, they gain confidence, body awareness, and a stronger sense of independence. As educators, our role is to create environments where children can take these small, meaningful risks while feeling supported and secure.

Our Approach at Bloomsbury
We design activities that encourage both movement and mindfulness, giving children space to explore while ensuring they feel supported and safe.

Supporting Outdoor Play at Home
You don’t need a big backyard to encourage outdoor play. Small trips to local parks, short walks around the block, or even time on a balcony with bubbles or sidewalk chalk can offer powerful benefits. According to Harvard Health Publishing, just 20 minutes of outdoor play per day can significantly improve a child’s ability to concentrate and promote better sleep quality. What matters most is consistency and freedom—let your child move, explore, and get messy!

Let Them Be Kids
Outdoor play gives children what they need most: space to be themselves, freedom to move, and opportunities to grow in every direction. At Bloomsbury Academy, our approach to outdoor play isn’t just based on instinct—it’s grounded in research and real-world evidence. We design our programming around what studies consistently show: that outdoor time supports stronger focus, better sleep, emotional regulation, physical development, and creativity. Everything we do—from our playground routines to outdoor group activities—is backed by facts.