We LOVE the Great Outdoors

The benefits of time spent outdoors are numerous. In the past few years alone, and partly due to the pandemic, there's been a big resurgence in people feeling the benefits of being outdoors on our mental health - just look at the huge increase in popularity of activities like llama trekking (would love to try this!) and shinrin-yoku (forest bathing). 

In children, the benefits are also huge and widely acknowledged. The Child Mind Institute recently published that the great outdoors…

• Builds confidence through the freedom to play and take risks
• Promotes creativity and imagination.
• Begins environmental awareness. You’ve got to love the natural world to want to save it.
• Provides a sensory experience above anything indoor play can achieve.
• Gets kids moving! Physical exercise leads to better mental health, sleep and focus.
• Actually improves brain health for every age group- natural air and light, decision making and curiosity all get the synapses going!
• Reduces stress and fatigue. Although kids will come home tired out, their stress levels will have greatly decreased, leading to less fatigue and those healthy happy hormones over the coming days.

Here at The Outdoors Project we LOVE being outdoors. For us, it's not just our job to spend time out in nature. Every person who works with us has a real love of the natural world and exploring it! This is why we chose to work with these amazing instructors, they are true role models to children who are just discovering how great a day outdoors can make you feel!

In our spare time, members of The Outdoors Project team loves to hike, camp, climb mountains, abseil, go scrambling, go caving, paddleboard, horse trek and many more pursuits besides! My own mum has started calling me Lara Croft - not sure I'm at that level yet but as you can see in the photos included with this article; between us, we're a pretty action packed team! 

We live the outdoors, and in running our wonderful clubs, we hope to share some of that passion with the children who visit us! Remember to ROAM. Because a little dirt never hurt.

Team ODP x 

Kaylee horse trekking on the Inca Trail.

Lucy abseiling from a bridge into a very cold river.

Will mountain climbing in Scotland last winter. 

Hayley is currently completing her forest school qualification and loves campfire cooking.

Lottie enjoys her nature walks around the city and making friends with the locals. 

Lucy completing the Coast to Coast walk in 2020.

Emily out walking whatever the weather! Not sure about these views.  

Kaylee's action shot - canyoning 

Paddleboarding on the Witham. Got to love our local Lincoln outdoor spaces too.

Adventure on,

Team ODP