Access to nature promotes physical and mental health, and it is vital for children's social and emotional development. Outdoor activities also influence family dynamics, helping to reduce stress and encourage connections. A new study from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign examines how green spaces and outdoor structures near the family residence interact with other factors in the household environment to influence executive functioning in early childhood.
- Marianne Stein
"We looked at what people have outside their home or across the street, where they can just walk out their door, and we focused on children's access to these facilities before age two," said lead author Samantha Iwinski, postdoctoral research associate in the Department of Human Development and Family Studies, part of the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences at Illinois.
"The goal was to investigate how those environmental factors shaped children's cognitive abilities as well as the home environment, because it's all part of a holistic system of influences."
Iwinski and her colleagues used data from 435 families who were part of the STRONG Kids2 project, a longitudinal study of families and children in the Midwestern United States. The researchers combined this dataset with information from Google Earth on green and outdoor spaces such as grass, trees, sandboxes, decks, or outdoor storage next to the family residence. The study included families in different housing types, including apartments, individual homes, and farms.
Iwinski focused on the effect of green spaces and family dynamics on children's executive function (EF); that is, cognitive processes critical for adaptive behavior. She distinguished between "cold" EF, which refers to the ability to control one's attention, behavior, and thoughts, and "hot" EF, which indicates capacity for emotional regulation.
"We found that having trees, a sandbox, or outdoor storage space before age 2 was associated with better cold EF at 4 years old," she said. "Trees and a sandbox allow for sensory interaction and are part of a nature playscape, providing opportunities to touch and feel and potentially climb. Outdoor storage space could mean there are toys and games that promote outdoor activities."
Having an outdoor sitting area and living on a farm were associated with better hot executive function at 4 and 5 years of age, respectively.
"This could relate to socializing and connection. Farming communities are often close-knit. Having a deck provides an opportunity to sit together and talk," she noted.
Overall, the researchers found that higher levels of green space were related to lower levels of household chaos, which indicates that family-based nature activities can be restorative for both children and adults.
Household chaos - such as a noisy environment and lack of consistent routines - at ages 2 and 4 years was associated with worse EF at those ages.
"But we found that higher household chaos at earlier time points actually resulted in better EF at 4 years of age. This could be because children develop resilience and adaptability, learning to regulate themselves in a chaotic environment," Iwinski said.
The results underscore the importance of providing access to green spaces and encouraging outdoor activities. Iwiski noted that some parents may not feel safe to go outside and pass their concerns on to their children.
"Research shows that children in low-income families have the most nature deprivation, so it would be important to implement policies that help underserved communities to have more green space and ways to interact available, and to ensure everyone feels welcome and safe in outdoor environments," she said.
Parents and educators can also encourage children to participate in outdoor activities.
"Parents can talk about what to do, for example, 'we can play with rocks today, tomorrow we can do sand,' and show their kids what it means to be outside. It's not just about helping your child, but also yourself, because outdoor activities promote mental health and restoration for everyone."
The paper, "Growing Minds: The Role of Family Residence Green Spaces and Household Chaos on Children's Executive Function," is published in Children, Youth and Environments [DOI:10.1353/cye.2025.a959179].
