Bereits im Alter von zwei Jahren spielen Mädchen weniger draußen als Jungen | Die Studie kommt zu dem Schluss, dass dies wichtig ist, da Mädchen im Vergleich zu Jungen weniger körperlich aktiv sind und mit zunehmendem Alter häufiger Probleme mit ihrer psychischen Gesundheit haben.
By aged two girls are already playing outside less than boys
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From the article: The first national survey of play in preschool-aged children in Britain has found that from the age of two-years-old, girls are playing outside in nature less than boys.
The research was conducted by the University of Exeter in partnership with the University of Cambridge and published in the [Journal of Physical Activity and Health](https://doi.org/10.1123/jpah.2024-0155). Parents of children aged two to four living in England, Scotland and Wales were surveyed and early differences in time spent in nature were found – which may have long-term implications, particularly for the health of girls. This is important because compared to boys, girls are less physically active and more likely to have difficulties with their mental health as they get older.
Professor of Child Psychology at the University of Exeter Medical School, Helen Dodd, co-led the study with funding from a UKRI Future Leaders Fellowship. She said: “Playing in nature has important physical and mental health benefits for all children. When children play outdoors in nature, they’re more likely to be active, to play in an adventurous way like climbing trees, and to connect with and learn about nature.
“Problems may arise if children have not had enough opportunity to play adventurously and to learn about managing feelings of uncertainty and anxiety in a playful way. If they’ve had enough opportunity to learn about these feelings and emotions through their play, they might be less likely to respond negatively and feel overwhelmed when faced with challenges like starting school for the first time.”
I didn’t know anyone played outside anymore
Pretty sure all dem kids are on their ipads/phones nowadays.
That’s a worrying sign! if phones and tablets weren’t enough, I sincerely hope AI doesn’t end what remains of outdoor activities for kids.
I’ve been saying it for years: living in the house is a privilege. Force your kids to live outside until they earn their way into the house.
Even on articles about female children the discussion is about all children. Why is this?
What the hell are some of these comments?
N=1166.
The findings raise so many more questions given the relative lack of agency preschool children have regarding where they play and the greater need for supervision of outdoor play. The study makes mention of gender socialization, there’s an opportunity to drill down further. A bit more from the research article:
> Participants were 1166 parents or carers of children aged 2–4 years (mean = 3.08 y, SD = 0.8 y) living in Britain (England, Scotland, or Wales)
> For total time spent playing outdoors, child sex and ethnicity were significant predictors after controlling for their respective confounding variables. Girls spent less time playing outdoors than boys. Children who belonged to a minority ethnic group spent less time playing outside than children who were identified as being white.
> While we cannot confirm why these sex differences were reported, gender socialization and stereotyped roles are already present in preschool-aged children.40 It is therefore possible that identified sex differences are driven by gender-role perceptions that girls should not get dirty or by perceptions about the different types of play that girls and boys (should) engage in. 41,42 Further research aiming to understand why these differences emerge is needed, given the large apparent disparities at such a young age and the known persistence of gender and the known persistence of gender differences in physical activity throughout childhood
“Difficulties with their mental health” is so vague as to be meaningless. Are they talking about incidence of diagnosable mental illnesses or just the degree of feeling psyched at any particular moment?