Abstract
Background: Currently, the time children spend playing outdoors is at an all-time low. However, the existing literature suggests that outdoor play may have cognitive and emotional benefits for children. Methods: The present study carried out a mediation analysis to explore whether amount and timing of outdoor play affects children's emotion regulation and whether working memory mediates these relations among 325 preschool children (Mage = 4.19, SD = 0.85) residing in a large Midwestern city in the United States. Results: Results showed that greater amounts of outdoor play very early (i.e., wake-up to noon) and very late (i.e., 6 PM to bedtime) in the day were related to greater emotional dysregulation. By contrast, greater amount of outdoor play from noon to 6 PM was related to lower emotional dysregulation. Importantly, the effect of amount of outdoor play from noon to 6 PM on emotion regulation was fully mediated by working memory. Conclusion: The findings of the present study suggest that in early childhood outdoor play that supports children's circadian rhythms may have cognitive and, in turn, emotional benefits.
Original language | English (US) |
---|---|
Article number | e70020 |
Journal | Child: Care, Health and Development |
Volume | 51 |
Issue number | 1 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Jan 2025 |
All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes
- Pediatrics, Perinatology, and Child Health
- Developmental and Educational Psychology
- Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health