Any good clinic-based OT will be able to produce 50 different fine motor treatment activities, create a sensory diet to help with behaviors, and provide some general emotional regulation strategies. But, there are just some things that can be best addressed out in nature. Here is my list of the 5 most convincing reasons why I became a nature-based OT.
1. The ultimate sensory experience
Outdoor play is the best environment to foster sensory development. Imagine how each of your senses are activated when listening to the birds chirp, spotting a butterfly, jumping in puddles, rolling down hills, climbing trees, or digging in the dirt. Each of the experiences helps our children learn, regulate, and accommodate their unique sensory needs.
2. Fosters creativity
Playing in a natural environment promotes curiosity, exploration, and discovery. This unrestricted play allows the child to use their imagination, generate their own ideas and problem-solve creative solutions. Think of it this way, if I handed you a stick, what would you do with it? A child may use it as a tool to reach something high up in the tree, or dig for bugs in the dirt. Or they may turn it into a wand or a light saber. Maybe they become a teacher, using it to point at their imaginary chalkboard.
3. Improves sleep
Many parents of a neurodivergent child have experienced night after night of poor sleep associated with their child either taking hours to fall sleep or waking frequently throughout the night. While healthy sleep hygiene is fundamental to a good night's sleep, an additional simple strategy is increasing time outdoors. Exposure to the natural light better regulates our bodies' internal sleep clock or circadian rhythm. Studies show that exposure to natural light in the morning, primes the child for better sleep that night.
Unstructured physical activity outside produces endorphins that help with mood regulation and increase melatonin production, helping your child fall asleep faster.
4. Increases immunity
You can finally leave the lysol at home! Access to the outdoors causes an increase in natural killer white blood cells. Yes, we really do have cells in out body called natural killers. These cells help fight off infections and tumor growth. Additionally, being in nature can lower blood pressure and decrease production of cortisol, a stress hormone.
5. Improved mental health
Time in nature has been shown to decrease symptoms of anxiety and depression. It is a well-documented stress reducer and has been shown to improve measures of resiliency.
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