Mental Health and Springtime Fun

As we transition into longer days with more sunshine, it’s natural to notice a better state of mind occurring naturally in both you and your child. As our moods lift, we may start to think more about our own mental health and the mental health of our children. As we enter the new spring season, it is a great time to add some mindful outdoor activities to your afternoon routines to support your child’s mental well-being and self-regulation. 

We chatted with Wolf School Occupational Therapist, Lauren Packer to learn more about why this is important and what parents can do at home to help support their child’s mental health.

Why Focus On Mental Health?

With mental health issues becoming more and more evident in school-aged children, it’s important that you consider your Complex Learners’ mental health. When children are given the tools and strategies they need to take care of themselves mentally, the effects are noticeable at both home and school. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), positive mental health indicators in school-aged children include affection, curiosity, and resilience. As a parent, you can support their mental, emotional, and behavioral well-being by promoting coping skills and sensory regulation strategies through outdoor play.

Benefits of Outdoor Play

While we know why it’s important to support your child’s mental health, did you know studies have shown the positive impact of nature-based interventions on the well-being of children? 

According to Exploring the Impact of Nature-Based Intervention on the Physiology, Emotions, and Ability to Self-Regulate in At-Risk Preadolescent Youth (2020) “the results of this study provide preliminary evidence supporting the use of nature-based interventions to positively influence physiological responses (decrease in resting heart rate) and emotional states (increase in positive emotions) in at-risk preadolescent youth.” Put simply, when you and your child spend time outdoors, just being outdoors is already helping your mental state. When we combine that natural occurrence with mindful activities – the results can be incredibly beneficial for Complex Learners!

What Can You Do?

• Blowing bubbles: encourages calming deep breathing, oral motor skill development, visual tracking skills, and motor planning 
• Mindful chalk drawing: promotes fine motor skill development, and can foster creativity and calmness when outside 
  • Create a sensory path with opportunities for spinning, jumping, and deep breathing to promote the use of calming vestibular and proprioceptive input
  • Write mindful and motivational messages on the sidewalk to serve as reminders to “take a deep breath” or “have a great day!” 
• Rhythmic swinging: put on music with a slow and calming beat and see if they can sync up the swing with the tune, this provides calming vestibular input which can promote relaxation and mindfulness. Have your child try swinging in different positions like on their belly or their back to support vestibular development 
• Nature scavenger hunt: take an after-dinner walk and see how many different things your child can see, hear, touch, and smell to promote awareness of senses and a reduction in anxiety and stress 

As we all start to spend more time outside, let’s make it an impactful time for ourselves and our children!

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