Benefits.

There are countless benefits to getting outside. Nature-Based therapy provides the opportunity for deep learning and meaningful benefits. Activities such as outdoor exploration, plant identification, creative play, mindful movement, puddle-jumping, climbing, swinging, mud play, fort-building, and more promote skill-building, adventure, and resiliency.

Four children wearing winter clothing and hats are outside near an old wooden structure with snow on the ground. One child is crouched down, another is sitting on the wood, and the others are partly visible, engaging with each other.

Social & Play Skills

Participating in group-based programming provides consistent exposure to interpersonal opportunities.

Creative group play and communication with group members supports skills such as:

  • Self-awareness

  • Self-expression

  • Social connection and relationship building

  • Social awareness

  • Cooperation

  • Conflict resolution

  • Problem-solving

  • Leadership

  • Listening

Close-up of hands planting small green seedlings into soil in a garden bed.

Sensory Integration & Regulation

Nature is a sensory-rich and sensory-balanced environment that provides exposure to dynamic activities that engage the senses:

  • Vision

  • Hearing

  • Smell

  • Taste

  • Tactile

  • Proprioception

  • Vestibular

  • Interoception

Nature-based therapy can support:

  • Co-regulation & self-regulation

  • Adaptability

  • Attention

  • Sensory integration

Child wearing red rain boots and brown pants splashing through a puddle on a gravel path, with a yellow raincoat visible from behind.

Motor Skills

Outdoor adventure and nature-based play naturally activate the body’s vestibular and proprioceptive systems, as activities take place on uneven surfaces and with natural objects.

Walking, running, climbing, building, and swinging, etc. can target Gross motor skills, such as:

  • Balance

  • Coordination

  • Strength

Holding, grabbing, manipulating and exploring objects, can target Fine motor skills, such as:

  • Hand-eye coordination

  • Dexterity

  • Grasp

Close-up of dew-covered grass blades at sunset with blurry background trees.

Mental Health

Nature offers a rich and balanced sensory environment that can improve mood, energize, and promote calm, benefitting mental health.

Nature-based therapy can impact the following:

  • Attention restoration

  • Cognitive flexibility

  • Perseverance

  • Problem-solving

  • Confidence

  • Resiliency

  • Engagement in everyday tasks

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