International Day of Play in 11 June is a time to celebrate the power of play and invites to active outdoor play: International Day of Play | United Nations
Recently, we published a large-scale European study examining the terminology, current state of research, educational practices, and policy developments related to outdoor play across Europe: Outdoor play in Europe: terminology and state of research, practice, and policy | European Journal of Public Health | Oxford Academic
Mygind, L., Johnstone, A., Kryeziu, A. R., Billet, B., Nyström, C. D., Sandseter, E. B., … & Bentsen, P. (2026). Outdoor play in Europe: terminology and state of research, practice, and policy. European Journal of Public Health, 36(2), ckag040.
Research evidence on the importance of active outdoor play
During the years 2024-2025, I also involved in a large international research collaboration that resulted in the updated Active Outdoor Play – Position Statement, published in 2025. This work brings together the latest scientific evidence on the importance of active outdoor play across ages and contexts. The key messages from the research are clear:
- active outdoor play supports physical health, reduces sedentary behaviour, and improves sleep
- time spent outdoors benefits mental health, social skills, and creativity
- playful and appropriately challenging activities strengthen resilience, confidence, and learning
- outdoor play also fosters a relationship with nature and sustainable ways of living
At the same time, the research highlights a growing concern: opportunities for free outdoor play are increasingly restricted due to digitalisation, heightened safety concerns, and environmental changes. This calls for conscious pedagogical, societal, and cultural solutions that enable outdoor play and learning for everyone.
Outdoor play and learning in international educational dialogue
In 2025, I have also written about the importance of outdoor learning and playfulness for Italian educators in BRICKS Magazine. My article, Outdoor learning for promoting play and wellbeing, discusses why playful outdoor learning should be integrated into curricula. Playful learning engages learners actively, sparks imagination, and supports learning in a holistic way — cognitively, physically, and socially. Outdoor learning creates space for “what if” thinking, hands-on exploration, and joy, all of which are essential building blocks of meaningful learning.
