Green spaces have a major impact on child development

A patch of grass, a shady tree, or a sandbox just beyond the front door can nudge children toward stronger self-control years later. New evidence ties tiny slivers of nature at home to key thinking skills in preschoolers, suggesting that everyday greenery does more than lift spirits.

Researchers at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign followed Midwestern families from infancy to kindergarten as part of the STRONG Kids2 project.

By merging satellite mapping with parent surveys, postdoctoral scholar Samantha Iwinski and colleagues tested how backyard features and family routines interact to build – or blunt – executive function (EF) in early childhood.

Green space and child self-control

Executive function is the mental toolbox that helps youngsters remember rules, switch focus, and curb impulses. Scientists separate it into “cold” skills, such as paying attention and planning, and “hot” skills, which manage emotions. The Illinois team asked whether nearby outdoor elements would tilt the scales.

“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,” Iwinski said.

“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.”

Google Earth images pinpointed trees, lawns, sandboxes, decks, and outdoor storage at 435 households spanning apartments, single-family homes, and farms.

Annual home visits then measured toddlers’ executive skills and gauged household order – or chaos – through questions on noise, routines, and crowding.

Sandbox time builds child focus

Iwinski and her team found that having trees, a sandbox, or outdoor storage space before age 2 was linked to stronger cold executive function by age four.

“Trees and a sandbox allow for sensory interaction and are part of a natural playscape, providing opportunities to touch and feel and potentially climb,” she said. “Outdoor storage space could mean there are toys and games that promote outdoor activities.”

Children who could reach such features showed greater ability to concentrate and follow directions when tested two years later.

Other landscape cues favored “hot” executive function. “This could relate to socializing and connection. Farming communities are often close-knit. Having a deck provides an opportunity to sit together and talk,” Iwinski noted.

Preschoolers raised on farms or with a porch to gather on were better at calming themselves when upset and delaying gratification at ages four and five.

Greener yards, calmer homes

Families surrounded by lush vegetation also reported less household chaos – fewer sudden noises, more predictable schedules, and less overall stress.

Parents seemed to use outside time as a pressure valve, turning shared walks or sandbox play into moments of restoration for adults and kids alike.

Still, the story was not one-directional. High chaos at ages two and four hurt executive skills in those same years, yet the pattern flipped later on.

“But we found that higher household chaos at earlier time points actually resulted in better EF at 4 years of age,” Iwinski said. This could be because children develop resilience and adaptability, learning to regulate themselves in a chaotic environment.”

The finding hints that some turbulence, if paired with supportive caregiving, may teach flexibility.

Green space gap persists for children

The team warns that access is uneven. Research shows that children in low-income families have the most nature deprivation.

“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,” Iwinski said.

Pocket parks, community gardens, and traffic-calmed streets could provide small pockets of green space for children where private yards are scarce.

Make nature part of play

Tiny habit shifts may help families harvest cognitive benefits even before policy catches up.

“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,” Iwinski said.

“It’s not just about helping your child, but also yourself, because outdoor activities promote mental health and restoration for everyone.”

Educators can extend the lesson by dotting school grounds with raised beds or movable log slices. Even a short recess under a tree canopy may sharpen attention back in the classroom.

Nature shapes growing minds

The study knits together landscape design, family psychology, and child development into a single storyline: nature near home can quiet the household, invite unstructured exploration, and prime young brains for the twin tasks of focus and emotion control.

It also shows that the benefits accrue well before children learn to read or add, highlighting a critical window for urban planners and caregivers alike.

Future work will track the same cohort into middle childhood to see whether early green space exposure predicts academic success or social adjustment.

For now, the message is simple and actionable: add a tree, keep a bucket of sand, or set out chairs on the porch – then step outside and play. The mind that steadies itself amid swaying branches or gritty fingers may carry that balance for years to come.

The study is published in the journal Children, Youth and Environments.

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