From Summer to School: 5 Outdoor Play Activities That Build Executive Function

Although the summer days are slowly turning into autumn and back-to-school ones, there are still plenty of sunny days ahead for children to look forward to. We can't think of a better way to burn off some pent-up energy, build up on cognitive and emotional skillsets, and have fun doing just that than by playing outside. 

Fun fact: even though it looks like playtime, children playing outside are building up a crucial  part of their minds that helps them live life to its fullest, and that's called executive functioning. Executive functioning is what helps your child learn vital cognitive skills in a way that's both fun and makes sense to their growing brains. Some examples include focus, concentration, planning and decision making, memorization, task management, and social and emotional development. 

There are some fun games that you and your child can play together that encourage and build upon this essential skillset. Alternatively, your child can play these independently, with a group, or with their friends. Check out these 5 outdoor play activities that build executive function in children and youth during the transition from summer to school.

1: Scavenger/nature treasure hunts

What child doesn't love exploring the unknown and yet familiar? Scavenger and treasure hunts introduce children to the possibility of new discoveries, and you can apply real world concepts such as nature and how we need to treat it with kindness to the hunt. 

Depending on your child's age, you could either go out on a nature walk with your child or send them on a treasure hunt somewhere close by, such as the backyard. They can try to find a small list of things you may typically find in nature, such as trees, local flowers and plants, and animals (without disturbing the local wildlife, of course). The great thing is that British Columbia is filled to the brim with beaches and nature trails, providing children with an amazing variety of new things to see and new places to explore.

Executive functioning skills that scavenger/nature treasure hunts help build:

• Memory: children will need to remember the new discoveries they found. Ask them specific questions about their discoveries when they come back from their scavenger hunt. This will help them reflect and build upon memorization skills.

• Focus and concentration: children need to be on the lookout for what they're finding, so they need to focus on their surroundings and then concentrate on being aware of their spatial surroundings outside of the current one.

• Independence and self-confidence: If your child is old enough, they may want to complete the scavenger hunt themselves. This is your chance to encourage that sense of independence in them, and build upon their self-confidence when they find what they're looking for and gain mastery over their sense of spatial awareness.

2: Red Light, Green Light (Go Go Stop)

Here's an outdoor activity for executive function building that can take place anywhere outside. Red Light, Green Light, also known as Go Go Stop, is played like this: you, or your child, or another player such as your child's friend, stands at one end of the space where the game is played; their back is turned to you and your child. Whenever they say "Go, go, go," or they say "Green light!", that's your chance to walk towards them. When they say "Stop!" or "Red light!" and turn around, the players have to freeze in motion; if they move, they go back to the beginning of the space where they started. 

The first person who reaches the person saying 'red light/green light' or 'go go stop' wins the game. Once they win, it can be the winner's turn to say go and stop, or red light/green light. Alternatively, it can be helpful to everyone if they're given a turn to say go go stop or red light/green light. That way, everyone has a fair chance to play the game.

Executive functioning skills that Red Light, Green Light/Go Go Stop helps build:

• Planning: Children will need to plan their moves during this game, whether that involves how they'll freeze in place or how fast or how slow to reach the other side of the space.

• Challenge and setback: Children will be challenged when playing this game to finish, since they must freeze in place, otherwise they'll go back to the start. They can also build up resilience to this type of setback while playing.

3: Outdoor obstacle courses

Sometimes the usual outdoor activities such as tag or tug-of-war can get stale or disencouraging to a child; for example they might not be as fast or athletic as the other children, or they're still learning how to reach those specific milestones.

So what can you do if this sounds like your child? Try creating an outdoor obstacle course. If you want to stick to your backyard, you can use materials such as cardboard boxes and rocks or even your child's outside toys as part of the course. 

A playground itself can be its own special obstacle course, or you can include it as part of the obstacle course you're putting together. You could also try making the final destination of the obstacle course something that requires your child to go through the playground itself, rather than running around it.

Executive functioning skills that outdoor obstacle courses help build:

• Overcoming challenge: children will need to strategize how to complete the course overall in order to overcome the challenges that the course presents to them. Not only does this encourage a growth mindset, but also it presents them with the chance to approach the course's challenges as learning opportunities.

• Overcoming change: children will need to adapt to the change presented in each obstacle. For example, they may start with climbing a ladder, but then have to get across using their arms on the monkey bars.

• Decision making: children will need to decide how they want to approach each obstacle as soon as they get there.

• Emotional regulation: rather than feeling overwhelmed with frustration, this outdoor activity encourages children to rein in their impulse control and look before they leap (literally and figuratively).

4: Building forts and/or imaginary creature houses

Here are two ways to encourage children and youth to have fun and put their brains to the test. Encourage them to build a fort with their friends or a group, one that will stay structured and upright not only in sunny weather, but also in weather conditions such as rain and wind. They can use materials such as sticks they find outside, or make out of snow (if it's snowing outside). 

Alternatively, if the weather's not ideal for your child, suggest they make an imaginary creature house for their choice. It can be as fantastical as a fairy or elf, or as realistic as a bird in the backyard, or even a dinosaur if that's a creature they really like. Ask them questions such as: 

• What kind of food do you think they eat?

• Do they like getting wet from the rain or not?

• What colours do you want to make their house?

Keep the questions basic, but also ask them in a way that encourages your child to not only think about answering, but also let their imagination take hold.

If possible, you could provide your child with the materials they need to build this fort or house, based on the above suggestions, or suggest they go outside and find the materials themselves. This can also be a fun activity to get your child's friends involved, or make it for a group.

Executive functioning skills that building forts/imaginary creature houses help build:

• Social and emotional development: since this activity can involve more than one person, it gives you and your child the chance to socialize, understand social cues from other people better, and rein in their impulse control for better collaboration with their peers while they build the fort or imaginary house. They may even discover something new about the other people they're playing with that may form common ground, such as an interest in the same imaginary creature or dinosaur.

• Self-regulation skill development: children can discover how to best self-regulate their behaviours and emotions while they do this outdoor activity, particularly in a group setting. The imaginary house may also teach your child how to care and show greater compassion and consideration for other people and their emotions.

5: "Calvinball" or imaginary free-play games

Based on the made-up outdoor game from Bill Watterson's comic strip "Calvin & Hobbes", Calvinball is a game where Calvin and Hobbes made up the rules as they played, and the rules always changed with every game. Why not apply something like this to the outdoor games your child wants to play? 

Let their imagination take hold; ordinary objects on the ground such as a stick can turn into a walking wizard's staff. Or the rocks on the beach can become silent rock people who need help getting home, back in the water. 

Free-play means your child will be the one to come up with the rules or magical settings for the objects they find. Some children and youth tend to flourish in their play more when they're the ones in charge of their imaginary rules.

Executive functioning skills that imaginary free-play games help build:

• Decision making: since it's up to your child and their imagination, they're the ones who have to decide how they want their game to be played.

• Self-confidence building: by being more in charge of the game, this can help boost your child's confidence in their abilities not only to decide the rules, but also in their abilities to manage and fulfill the tasks involved while playing.