Charlotte Mason on Outdoor Time
Charlotte Mason is quoted as advising parents to have their kids out of doors for “not two, but four, five, or six hours they should have on every tolerably fine day.” I admit, four to six hours outdoors seems to be the norm for kids who grew up during the 1970s and 1980s, but for this generation, kids seem so much harder to push out of the door.
Perhaps it’s partly because of the allure of gadgets and screen time. Or maybe it’s also because we don’t feel as “safe” these days letting our children roam free, and for good reason.
But let’s take a look at what she says about how much time we should give our children out of doors:
How much time daily in the open air should the children have? And how is it possible to secure this for them?… And long hours they should be; not two, but four, five, or six hours they should have on every tolerably fine day, from April till October. Impossible! Says an overwrought mother who sees her way to no more for her children than a daily hour or so on the pavements of the neighbouring London squares. (Volume 1, pages 43-44)
Benefits of Outdoor Time According to Charlotte Mason
Yes, Charlotte Mason is adamant about maximizing outdoor time for our children, for very clear benefits. Look at how applicable her words are not just to her own time, but even to ours:
For we are an overwrought generation, running to nerves as a cabbage runs to seed; and every hour spent in the open is a clear gain, tending to the increase of brain power and bodily vigour, and to the lengthening of life itself. They who know what it is to have fevered skin and throbbing brain deliciously soothed by the cool touch of the air are inclined to make a new rule of life, Never be within doors when you can rightly be without. (From Vol 1. Page 42)
Charlotte Mason highly recommends outdoor time, and in fact, describes the first six years of life as a time that should mostly be spend in the fresh air!
In this time of extraordinary pressure, educational and social, perhaps a mother’s first duty to her children is to secure for them a quiet growing time, a full six years of passive receptive life, the waking part of it spent for the most part out in the fresh air. And this, not for the gain in bodily health alone––body and soul, heart and mind, are nourished with food convenient for them when the children are let alone, let to live without friction and without stimulus amongst happy influences which incline them to be good. (Page 43?)
From these two passages alone, we can see the following benefits of maximizing outdoor time for our children:
1. Calms our overwrought nerves
Have you noticed how a few hours out on the sea or on the mountains, or even a short walk through the woods, has the power to calm our stormy emotions and thoughts? What was true in Miss Mason’s time is true in ours. In fact, many recent studies have been conducted on the benefits of nature time to our mental health.
2. Increases “brain power”
Perhaps one way that time in the outdoors helps our brain capacity is because it helps clear our mind. But according to Charlotte Mason, she believes that fresh air helps ensure that our brains receive “healthy blood”!
3. Improves physical strength
How does time out in nature improve physical vigor? It could be related to the physical movement that we tend to do in the outdoors, such as hiking and climbing among others. But Miss Mason also strongly believes that the quality of outdoor air, especially away from congested areas like cities, has a positive impact on physical fitness.
4. Possibly lengthens our life span
It’s interesting to note that back in the 19th century, Miss Mason already had this idea of time spent outdoors lengthening our life span. Research in recent years confirms this concept, showing a significant lower risk for dying by certain diseases.
5. Nourishes our body and soul, heart and mind
I suppose this fifth benefit sums it all up: outdoor time affects not just our physical health, but also our mental and emotional health.
Do you see just how much impact outdoor time can have for your family’s life? If we only kept these benefits in mind all the time, I don’t think we would hesitate to add outdoor time to our weekly—if not daily!—schedule!
Ways to Maximize Outdoor Time the Charlotte Mason Way
Of course, we need to acknowledge that not everyone in the modern day can realistically spend whole day everyday out of doors. But here are some practical steps to help you include it in your routine:
1. Plan meals outdoors.
One of the first things that Charlotte Mason suggests by way of spending more time outdoors is to have meals outdoors! Here’s what she has to say:
People who live in the country know the value of fresh air very well, and their children live out of doors, with intervals within for sleeping and eating. As to the latter, even country people do not make full use of their opportunities. On fine days when it is warm enough to sit out with wraps, why should not tea and breakfast, everything but a hot dinner, be served out of doors?
…Besides the gain of an hour or two in the open air, there is this to be considered: meals taken al fresco are usually joyous, and there is nothing like gladness for converting meat and drink into healthy blood and tissue. All the time, too, the children are storing up memories of a happy childhood. Fifty years hence they will see the shadows of the boughs making patterns on the white tablecloth; and sunshine, children’s laughter, hum of bees, and scent of flowers are being bottled up for after refreshment. (From Vol 1 pages 42-43)
If you have a yard, a patio, or a balcony, consider this as a way to get the kids out in the fresh air.
2. Plan an Outdoor Day (or days!)
Charlotte Mason admits that having meals outdoors everyday may not be practical for those who live in cities and suburbs. But she encourages mothers to make plans even for taking the children away someplace where they can spend much time in the open air:
Let me repeat, that I venture to suggest, not what is practicable in any household, but what seems to me absolutely best for the children; and that, in the faith that mothers work wonders once they are convinced that wonders are demanded of them. A journey of twenty minutes by rail or omnibus, and a luncheon basket, will make a day in the country possible to most town dwellers; and if one day, why not many, even every suitable day? (p. 44)
3. Play outdoors!
Do you know that Miss Mason dedicates a section of Volume 1 to “Out-of-Door Games etc,” and includes a subsection labelled “Noisy Games”? She talks about how the time after lunch can be used by older children in playing outdoor games. Take a look at this:
The afternoon’s games, after luncheon, are an important part of the day’s doings for the elder children… Meanwhile, the elders play; the more they run, and shout, and toss their arms, the more healthful is the play. And this is one reason why mothers should carry their children off to lonely places, where they may use their lungs to their hearts’ content without risk of annoying anybody. (Vol 1, page 81)
4. Let the younger ones nap outdoors.
Another way of maximizing time outdoors is to consider letting the little ones take their naps out of doors. This can be during a day out on the beach or a park. Just because it’s almost nap time doesn’t mean you have to pack up and head home; consider extending the time outdoors by letting the younger ones nap while the older ones play. Here’s how Miss Mason describes it:
The afternoon’s games, after luncheon, are an important part of the day’s doings for the elder children, though the younger have probably worn themselves out by this time with the ceaseless restlessness by means of which Nature provides for the due development of muscular tissue in them; let them sleep in the sweet air, and awake refreshed. (Vol 1, page 81)
5. Take a walk.
Sometimes if it’s really not possible to spend long hours out of doors, we might consider taking a walk. I guess you could say it’s better than nothing! The walk might be a simple as going on an errand, and taking the route through a park or playground. In fact, Miss Mason recommends taking walks even in winter or in wet weather, “unless of the heaviest,” as long as the children are “suitably clothed.”
Being More Intentional to Add Outdoor Time
We hope this post helps you form positive associations with outdoor time and so encourage you to be more intentional at prioritizing it in your weekly schedule. The younger your children are, the easier it should be to start developing a habit of spending much time outdoors, since they don’t have much school work to think about yet.
But even with older children, we believe being intentional at spending time outdoors can have many benefits. Try it out and let us know what you think in the comments below!
