Play of early and preschool children outdoors

Igra je potreba i najvažnija aktivnost djece. Kroz nju djeca zadovoljavaju svoje potrebe i uče i usvajaju nove vještine. Igra razvija djetetove sposobnosti te utječe na njegov cjelokupni razvoj-socijalni, emocionalni, kognitivni i tjelesni. Dijete je u igri koncentrirano, angažirano te joj se cijelo predaje. Upravo u igri na otvorenom, dijete može razvijati sve svoje potencijale, širiti obzore, a istovremeno biti potpuno slobodno. Boravak na otvorenom djetetu pruža razne mogućnost istraživanja, svjež zrak kao i mogućnost učenja i napredovanja u interakciji sa svojim okruženjem. Mnogi znanstvenici i stručnjaci naglašavaju važnost igre i boravka na otvorenom, a jedna od tih je i Fredrika Martensson koja je istraživačica eko-psihologije na švedskom poljoprivrednom fakultetu. Ona je 2010. godine provela istraživanje u kojem je zaključila kako je dječja igra maštovitija, raznovrsnija i slobodnija na otvorenom, odnosno prirodnom prostoru, a posebno na onom koje nije uređeno i puno je neoblikovanog materijala. Takvo okruženje djeci omogućuje ispitivanje vlastitih mogućnosti, daje odgovore i rješenja na pitanja i nedoumice koje im takav boravak i okruženje pruža. Djeca su se na otvorenom sastajala i okupljala tijekom cijele godine, a priroda je funkcionirala u tom slučaju kao mjesto susreta. Istraživanja koju su provela Skar i Krogh (2009, prema Sandseter, Cordovil, Hagen i Lopes, 2019) pokazuju kako igra u prirodnom okruženju više nema tu učestalost ni važnost, a istraživanje djece u prirodi zamijenila je vođena igra koju organiziraju odrasli. U ovome će se radu govoriti o igri na otvorenom, njezinom doprinosu određenim aspektima razvoja djeteta (socijalni, emocionalni, kognitivni i tjelesni) te će se tema osvijetliti iz različitih perspektiva. Cilj rada je osvještavanje o važnosti igre na otvorenom i samom boravku na zraku.The most important activity and need of children is a game in which they meet their needs, while at the same time learning and acquiring new skills. Play develops a child's abilities and affects his overall development, which includes social, emotional, cognitive and physical development. The child is concentrated, engaged in the game and devotes himself to it. It is in outdoor play that a child can develop all his potentials, broaden his horizons, and at the same time be completely free. Staying outdoors provides them with a variety of opportunities to explore, fresh air as well as the opportunity to learn and thrive in interacting with their environment. Many scientists and experts emphasize the importance of play and outdoor activities, and one of them is Fredrika Martensson, who is a researcher of eco-psychology at the Swedish Faculty of Agriculture. In 2010, she conducted a study in which she concluded that children's play is very imaginative, diverse and free in the open, ie natural space, and especially in the unorganized and a lot of unshaped material. Such an environment allows children to explore their own capabilities, provides answers and solutions to questions and concerns that such a stay and environment provides them. The children met and gathered in the open all year round, and nature functioned in that case as a meeting place. Research conducted by Skar and Krogh (2009, according to Sandseter, Cordovil, Hagen and Lopes, 2019) shows that playing in the natural environment no longer has that frequency or importance, and research on children in nature has been replaced by guided play organized by adults. This paper will talk about outdoor play, its contribution to certain aspects of child development (social, emotional, cognitive and physical) and an overview of the topic from different perspectives. The aim of the paper is to raise awareness of the importance of outdoor play and the stay in the air