Forest View | Outdoor fun is more than just playtime

Following strong research by The National Trust, which identified children are now playing outside for only half the amount of time than their parents did in their younger days[1], Kibble have set out a commitment to embrace outdoor play and all the benefits it brings to children and young people.

Childhood Nostalgia

Playing outside for hours at a time, adventures with friends and creating games purely from imagination… readers of a certain age will recall that playing outside in the fresh air was the story of their childhood. However, this has become a less familiar sight in recent years with the growth in technology keeping children’s interest indoors.

The Great Outdoors

At Kibble, we fully believe there is a reason why it is called “the great outdoors”. It is our intention to create opportunities for young people to enjoy going out in nature, being surrounded by fresh air and having the space to run freely. We encourage outdoor adventures, trips to the beach and visits to muddy play parks or inspiring hill walks. The sea breeze, exciting climbing frames and idyllic views can help bring a sense of joy and happiness to all.

Outside Our Forest View Campus

Our Forest View campus in Lochwinnoch is home to two of our beautiful children’s residential houses, which sit adjacent to our therapeutic primary school. The entire campus has a focus on the outdoors with the acres of forest acting as a natural playground. Part of our model of trauma-informed care is to encourage young people to take full advantage of the rural setting and experience the freedom of playing outside.

We successfully received funding from The National Lottery Community Fund, which helped build a play area to encourage children to explore their environment and learn to manage risk outdoors at Forest View. This has brought delight to our young people who can now go outdoors to play with their friends – the weather does not stop them from wanting to go and play.

Importance of Outdoor Play

Children should be able to make their own mistakes, but within well-defined, safe parameters. As children get older, being trusted to be outside on their own is an important badge of achievement. It is up to the development of each child as to when this time arrives but it will help to develop their self-confidence and feelings of self-worth. Learning how to assess risk forms part of our therapuetic residential care at Forest View and is a huge aspect to child development.

Our ambition for Forest View is to give every young person the nurturing, therapeutic residential care they need. We can only do that by embracing outdoor play, and the benefits it brings. By striking the correct balance of outdoor, risky play within defined and safe boundaries, our children will have balanced, healthy childhoods, full of fun, imagination and play. We aim to help children create happy memories they can reflect on throughout their lives.

Learn More

To enquire about placements at Forest View, please contact Kibble on 0141 889 0044, or email referrals@kibble.org.

[1] https://www.childinthecity.org/2018/01/15/children-spend-half-the-time-playing-outside-in-comparison-to-their-parents/?gdpr=accept