Influence of Outdoor Nature Play on Children’s Physical Activity, Cognitive Performance, and Emotional Well-Being

Introduction: Opportunities for outdoor nature play have declined in contemporary childhood, raising concerns about children’s physical activity (PA), cognitive development, and emotional well-being. Emerging evidence suggests that nature-based play environments may support holistic child development; however, experimental studies examining causal effects remain limited.
Objective: To examine the influence of outdoor nature play on children’s PA, cognitive performance, and emotional well-being.
Method: This randomized controlled experimental study investigated the effects of an eight-week outdoor nature play intervention on children aged 6–10 years (N=80). Participants were randomly assigned to an outdoor nature play group (n=40) or a control group engaging in non-nature-based play (n=40). PA was measured using accelerometers, cognitive performance was assessed with standardized executive function tasks, and emotional well-being was evaluated using validated parent-report questionnaires. ANOVA was used for data anlaysis.
Results: Children in the outdoor nature play group demonstrated greater increases in moderate-to-vigorous PA compared to controls (F(1,78)=36.42, p<0.001, η²=0.32). Significant improvements were also found in cognitive performance (F(1,78)=14.88, p<0.001, η²=0.16) and emotional well-being (F(1,78)=22.15, p<0.001, η²=0.22). No significant changes were observed in the control group.
Conclusions: Outdoor nature play produces significant benefits for children’s PA, cognitive functioning, and emotional well-being. Integrating nature-based play into educational and community settings may support healthier and more balanced child development.