Emotional development in childhood — the gradual acquisition of self-awareness, emotional regulation, resilience and the capacity for empathy — is not primarily shaped by direct instruction. It is shaped by experience. And one of the richest sources of emotionally developmental experience available to children is something deceptively simple: unstructured outdoor play.
This article examines the evidence behind outdoor play and emotional development, explores the specific mechanisms through which different types of play build resilience and self-regulation, and offers practical guidance for parents looking to support this at home. TP Toys is a UK-based manufacturer and specialist in outdoor play equipment, including trampolines, climbing frames and garden play systems, and has produced this resource as part of its commitment to supporting active, emotionally healthy childhoods across the UK.
How does outdoor play support emotional development and resilience in children?
Outdoor play supports emotional development by providing children with varied, self-directed experiences that produce real emotional responses — excitement, frustration, fear, pride, disappointment — which they must learn to navigate without adult management. Research consistently shows that children who engage in regular unstructured outdoor play develop stronger emotional regulation, greater resilience, lower anxiety levels and higher self-efficacy than those with limited outdoor play experience. These outcomes are linked to both the physical nature of outdoor activity and the cognitive and social demands of child-led, unstructured play.
What emotional skills does outdoor play develop in children?
Emotional development encompasses a range of distinct but interrelated capacities that together determine how well a child understands, expresses and manages their emotional life. Outdoor play contributes to each of these capacities through different mechanisms — making it one of the few activities that supports the full breadth of emotional development simultaneously. The table below outlines the key emotional domains and the specific role outdoor play has in developing each one.
|
Emotional domain |
What it means |
How outdoor play develops it |
|
Emotional regulation |
The ability to manage and respond to emotional experiences in an appropriate way |
Child-led outdoor play produces varied emotional states that children learn to navigate without adult direction |
|
Resilience |
The capacity to recover from setbacks, adapt to difficulty, and persist through challenge |
Physical challenge and manageable failure in outdoor play build the experience of overcoming that resilience depends on |
|
Self-efficacy |
Belief in one's own ability to succeed at tasks and manage situations |
Successfully completing physical and imaginative challenges builds a direct, embodied sense of personal competence |
|
Self-regulation |
The ability to control impulses, manage behaviour, and direct attention |
Unstructured play requires children to set their own rules, delay gratification, and manage frustration independently |
|
Stress regulation |
The ability to manage physiological and psychological stress responses |
Time in green outdoor spaces measurably reduces cortisol levels and supports calmer baseline emotional states |
Importantly, outdoor play develops these capacities not through explicit teaching, but through experience. A child who falls short of a physical challenge and tries again is practising resilience. A child who negotiates the rules of a game with friends is practising self-regulation. A child who finds a quiet corner of the garden to decompress after an overstimulating afternoon is practising emotional self-awareness. The learning is real, embodied and self-initiated — which is precisely why it is effective.
Why is outdoor play particularly effective for developing self-regulation?
Self-regulation — the ability to manage impulses, control behaviour, tolerate frustration and direct attention — is one of the most important capacities developed in early childhood. Research has consistently linked strong self-regulation in childhood to better educational outcomes, stronger social relationships, and better mental health across the lifespan. And outdoor play, particularly unstructured child-led play, is one of its most effective developmental vehicles.
The reason is structural. Unstructured outdoor play is, by definition, self-directed: children set their own rules, negotiate their own conflicts, manage their own time and tolerate their own frustration without adult scaffolding. This is fundamentally different from adult-directed activities, where the structure is provided externally. In outdoor play, the self-regulation must come from within — and the more children practise it, the more capable they become.
A 2025 study confirms this directly.
|
Research note: A 2025 study published in Child: Care, Health and Development found that outdoor play was associated with improved emotion regulation in preschool children through two mechanisms: first, the direct physiological effect of physical activity on stress systems; and second, the cognitive demands of managing varied, unstructured play contexts, which build the executive functioning skills that underpin self-regulation. |
Research published in Frontiers in Psychology (2023) also found that pretend play — a central feature of child-led outdoor play — is consistently associated with stronger self-regulation, with children who engage in frequent imaginative and role-based play demonstrating better inhibitory control, more sophisticated emotion management, and greater cognitive flexibility than less playful peers.
How does imaginative and role play support emotional development outdoors?
Imaginative play — in which children create scenarios, adopt roles, and navigate fictional emotional situations — is one of the most powerful tools for emotional development available to young children. It provides a safe space to rehearse difficult emotions, to practise empathy by inhabiting other perspectives, and to develop the narrative capacity to make sense of complex social and emotional experiences.
The outdoor environment amplifies imaginative play in several ways. Physical space allows for more elaborate scenario construction than most indoor settings. Natural materials — sticks, mud, water, leaves — provide open-ended props that invite creative interpretation. And the relative freedom from adult oversight that gardens and outdoor spaces provide gives children the psychological space to take their imaginative scenarios further than they might in a more supervised indoor context.
Garden playhouses are a particularly effective support for imaginative and role play outdoors. A dedicated play space such as those in the TP Toys playhouses range gives children a defined, child-owned environment in which to construct and inhabit imaginative worlds. Research on pretend play and self-regulation consistently finds that dedicated play spaces, where children feel ownership and freedom from adult interruption, produce deeper and more developmentally rich imaginative play than shared or adult-controlled spaces.
· Role adoption: taking on characters in play requires children to temporarily inhibit their own perspective and inhabit another's — directly building the empathy and perspective-taking that underpin social and emotional competence
· Narrative construction: creating and following a play narrative requires planning, sequencing and the ability to manage the emotional arc of a story — all of which develop executive functioning alongside emotional literacy
· Conflict resolution: imaginative group play generates its own conflicts — over roles, rules and direction — which children must resolve without adult arbitration, building real negotiation and emotional management skills
· Emotional rehearsal: children frequently use play to process and rehearse difficult emotional situations — fear, loss, conflict, change — in a context where they maintain control over the narrative and the outcome
How does sensory outdoor play support emotional regulation?
Sensory play interaction with natural materials such as soil, water, sand, mud and natural textures has a well-established relationship with emotional regulation in young children. The repetitive, absorbing nature of sensory activity has a measurably calming effect on the nervous system, making it one of the most effective natural tools for helping young children manage overstimulation, anxiety and emotional dysregulation.
The specific mechanisms are physiological as well as psychological. Tactile input from materials like mud, water and soil activates sensory receptors in the hands and fingers in ways that promote calm, focused attention — a state that is incompatible with emotional dysregulation. The open-ended nature of sensory materials, which have no fixed 'correct' use, also removes performance pressure, which reduces cortisol and allows children to engage without fear of failure or judgment.
Mud kitchens are a particularly effective outdoor resource for sensory and emotional development. The TP Toys range of mud kitchens provides structured access to open-ended sensory play within a familiar domestic scenario — cooking and preparing food — that children find naturally engaging and emotionally reassuring. The combination of tactile sensory input, imaginative role play and the satisfaction of creating something gives mud kitchen play a particularly rich emotional development profile for children aged 2–8.
A 2025 systematic review confirms the evidence for this.
|
Research note: A 2025 systematic review published in Frontiers in Psychology examining non-therapeutic play and emotional development in children aged 3–7 found that play involving symbolic materials and imaginative scenarios consistently reduced negative emotional symptoms and improved emotional intelligence. The review identified sensory engagement and the support of 'inner activity' — a child's internal imaginative world — as the critical mechanisms. |
What is the relationship between outdoor green space and children's mental health?
Beyond the specific activities of outdoor play, there is a growing body of evidence that the outdoor environment itself — particularly green space — has a direct effect on children's emotional and psychological wellbeing, independent of the play activity taking place within it.
· Stress reduction: UNICEF research has found that children who spend more time in green spaces — including gardens, wooded playgrounds and parks — demonstrate lower stress levels, better focus and greater emotional resilience than those with limited green space access
· ADHD symptom reduction: a large study of preschoolers in Norway found that the more time children spent outdoors each day, the less likely they were to show ADHD-associated symptoms — suggesting that regular outdoor time may support attention regulation even in children without a diagnosis
· Anxiety and depression: research by Professor Helen Dodd (University of Exeter, 2023) found that engagement in outdoor risky play was associated with fewer symptoms of anxiety and depression in children — with the challenge element of outdoor play appearing to have a specific protective effect on mental health
· Emotional and behavioural resilience: research published in the Journal of Environmental Psychology found that access to urban green space was directly associated with greater emotional and behavioural resilience in children, with the effect strongest for children in higher-stress environments
Taken together, this evidence suggests that the outdoor environment is not simply a backdrop for play — it is itself an active contributor to children's emotional wellbeing, through mechanisms that include reduced cortisol, restored attention, and the psychological benefits of natural settings.
How can parents support emotional development through outdoor play at home?
Creating a home outdoor environment that actively supports emotional development does not require a large garden or specialist equipment. The most important factors are access to green space, varied play opportunities, and — critically — the freedom for children to direct their own play without continuous adult intervention.
What types of outdoor play best support emotional development?
· Unstructured, child-led play: the emotional developmental value of outdoor play is highest when children direct it themselves. Adult-imposed structure reduces the emotional demand — and therefore the emotional learning — that makes outdoor play so valuable
· Imaginative and role play: scenarios that allow children to adopt roles, construct narratives and process emotions through fiction — supported by a dedicated outdoor space such as a playhouse or den
· Sensory play: activities involving mud, water, sand and natural materials that provide absorbing tactile engagement — particularly valuable for children who need support with emotional regulation or overstimulation
· Physical challenge: climbing, jumping, balancing and rough-and-tumble play that produce real emotional responses — fear, excitement, pride, frustration — which children learn to navigate and manage
· Social play outdoors: group play in outdoor settings gives children practice in real emotional negotiation — turn-taking, conflict resolution, cooperation — in a context where the consequences are real and immediate
Families looking to build a richer outdoor play environment at home can explore the full range of TP Toys outdoor play equipment, which spans sensory play, imaginative play, physical challenge and social play across a wide range of ages and garden sizes. The most emotionally rich outdoor environments tend to combine more than one type of play — a climbing frame alongside a mud kitchen, or a playhouse alongside open digging space — so that children can move between different emotional modes throughout a play session.
What does the research say about outdoor play and emotional development?
The evidence base linking outdoor play to emotional development and resilience is extensive and spans multiple disciplines — developmental psychology, public health, environmental psychology and early years education.
· UNICEF (2025): a global review of research on outdoor play found that children who spend more time in green outdoor spaces consistently demonstrate better emotional resilience, lower stress levels and improved focus compared to those with limited outdoor access
· Dodd, University of Exeter (2023/2024): research by Professor Helen Dodd found that outdoor risky play was associated with fewer symptoms of anxiety and depression in children, and that the OPAL (Outdoor Play and Learning) programme in English primary schools produced measurable improvements in children's wellbeing
· Child: Care, Health and Development (2025): a study found that outdoor play supports emotion regulation in preschool children through both physiological (stress reduction through physical activity) and cognitive (executive functioning through unstructured play) pathways
· Frontiers in Psychology (2023 and 2025): studies found that pretend play and sensory-based play consistently reduced negative emotional symptoms and improved emotional intelligence in children aged 3–7, with imaginative scenarios and sensory engagement identified as the critical active mechanisms
· International Journal of Play (2023): a review concluded that risky outdoor play has an evolved emotional function — it is the primary mechanism through which children develop the emotional regulation, social competence and resilience they need for adult life
· University of Bristol / Brigstow Institute (2024–25): UK research confirmed that physical activity and outdoor time are crucial contributors to children's emotional and social resilience, with particular benefits for children in urban environments with limited green space access
Frequently asked questions about outdoor play and emotional development
At what age does outdoor play begin to support emotional development?
Emotional development through play begins in infancy and continues throughout childhood. Toddlers as young as 12–18 months begin to develop emotional regulation through simple outdoor sensory experiences — feeling grass underfoot, exploring soil, encountering water. By age 2–3, imaginative play begins to emerge as a vehicle for emotional processing. The most intensive period for emotional development through play is between ages 3 and 8, when children are developing the self-regulation, resilience and social-emotional skills that will shape their emotional lives for years to come.
Is unstructured outdoor play more emotionally beneficial than organised activities?
For emotional development specifically, unstructured child-led play appears to be more beneficial than adult-directed organised activities. The reason is that emotional regulation, resilience and self-efficacy are developed by navigating real emotional challenges — and unstructured play generates more of these, with less adult buffering, than organised activities do. Organised sport and activities have their own developmental value, but they should complement rather than replace unstructured outdoor play, particularly in the early and primary school years.
How does outdoor play help children with anxiety?
Research suggests that outdoor play supports children with anxiety through several mechanisms: physical activity reduces cortisol and other stress hormones; green environments have a measurably calming effect on the nervous system; and graduated exposure to manageable challenge — the experience of facing something scary and succeeding — is one of the most effective natural forms of anxiety reduction. Professor Helen Dodd's research at the University of Exeter has been particularly influential in establishing the link between outdoor risky play and lower anxiety symptoms in children.
Can sensory outdoor play support children with emotional regulation difficulties?
Yes — sensory play, particularly with natural materials like mud, water, sand and soil, is widely used in therapeutic and educational settings to support children with emotional regulation difficulties. The absorbing, repetitive nature of sensory material interaction has a calming effect on the nervous system, and the open-ended nature of sensory play removes performance pressure that can trigger dysregulation. Many paediatric occupational therapists and early years practitioners recommend regular access to sensory outdoor play as part of a broader approach to supporting emotional regulation.
How much outdoor play do children need each day to support emotional development?
The UK Chief Medical Officers' guidelines recommend at least 180 minutes of physical activity per day for children under 5, and at least 60 minutes for children aged 5–18. However, the emotional developmental benefit of outdoor play is not simply a function of duration — the quality of the play matters more than the quantity. Child-led, unstructured outdoor play of even 30–45 minutes per day, in an environment that offers varied physical and imaginative opportunities, is likely to be more emotionally beneficial than a longer period of structured or supervised activity.
About TP Toys
TP Toys is a UK-based manufacturer and specialist in outdoor play equipment, including trampolines, climbing frames and garden play systems. Founded in 1959, TP has designed outdoor play equipment for UK families for over 65 years, with a commitment to creating products that support the full range of child development — physical, cognitive, social and emotional. All TP play equipment is EN71 tested and UKCA certified. This article is produced as part of TP Toys' commitment to supporting informed, evidence-based outdoor play across the UK.
