# Daily outdoor and nature time

**How much time should our child spend outdoors?**

How much time your child spends outdoors, from incidental to a daily habit in most weather to outdoor activity as a family identity.

In short: Parents choose between 4 main approaches: Incidental; Daily in most weather; Structured nature programs; Outdoors as a family identity. Evidence: your call. No outcome evidence picks a winner. Preference, culture, money and logistics decide. Best settled: toddler.

- Area: Play, activities and enrichment
- Evidence: Your call
- Best settled: Toddler
- First published: 2026-10-03
- Last updated: 2026-10-05
- Page: https://www.raisingyourchild.com/topics/play-activities-and-enrichment--daily-outdoor-and-nature-time

## Daily outdoor and nature time: what are the options?

1. **Incidental**: The child is outside when it happens to come up.
2. **Daily in most weather**: The child goes outside every day unless the weather is severe.
3. **Structured nature programs**: The child attends organized programs such as forest school or scouts.
4. **Outdoors as a family identity**: Hiking, camping and time outdoors are central to how your family lives.

## Daily outdoor and nature time: what does the evidence say?

**Your call.** No outcome evidence picks a winner. Preference, culture, money and logistics decide. (Values, with supportive guidance)

Canada's pediatric society endorses outdoor and risky play

Sources:

- [CPS](https://cps.ca/en/media/risky-play-can-enhance-childrens-health-and-wellbeing)

## What else is worth knowing?

Time outdoors gives children movement, daylight and room for active play. Some families treat it as a daily habit in any weather; for others it is occasional. Where you live shapes what is easy.

## Questions to ask each other

- How outdoorsy were our childhoods, and how outdoorsy are we now?
- What would daily outdoor time look like in our weather and neighborhood?
- How will we make it happen when we are busy?

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General information, not medical advice. Two parents can each answer this and compare: https://www.raisingyourchild.com/explore?cat=play-activities-and-enrichment&topic=play-activities-and-enrichment--daily-outdoor-and-nature-time