Screens, Stress, and the Lost Art of Play: Why Outdoor Play Still Matters
Christmas morning is full of magic—and increasingly, glowing screens. New iPads, Apple Watches, and gaming consoles are unwrapped with excitement, and a little extra screen time feels harmless during the long winter break. But before we know it, days blur together, two weeks pass, and many children have spent more time tapping, scrolling, and swiping than running, building, imagining, or exploring.
As families return from the holidays and children reenter school routines, it’s worth pausing to ask: What kind of childhood are we cultivating? At Alexandria Classical Christian Academy (ACCA), we believe the answer matters deeply—and it begins with reclaiming something simple, powerful, and increasingly rare: meaningful outdoor play.
In an age when children spend more time with screens than with soil under their fingernails, outdoor play is more than a breath of fresh air—it’s a vital part of education. At ACCA, we choose a different path. While many schools double down on academics in response to rising childhood anxiety and tumbling test scores, ACCA emphasizes something both ancient and timeless: outdoor play as an essential component of a rich, healthy childhood.
At ACCA, outdoor time isn’t a break from learning—it is learning. It’s intentional, not optional, and it creates an environment that invites wonder, exploration, and delight in the natural world. By freeing students from screens during the school day, we offer something truly different: space to grow, think, and collaborate.
Whether it’s first graders raising frogs, fourth graders reenacting rescue missions in the woods, or middle schoolers strategizing in a game of “Guerrilla,” students develop essential life skills through unstructured play. At recess, you’ll find complex games, fort building, imaginative roleplay, and a kind of joy that can’t be taught—but can certainly be nurtured.
Why Outdoor Learning Matters Now
Too often, children are overstimulated and over-scheduled, spending hours indoors tethered to technology. Research supports what many parents intuitively feel: outdoor learning benefits far exceed what screen-based instruction alone can offer. Time in nature improves executive function, helping children focus, regulate emotions, and process information more effectively.
Outdoor activity also supports physical health—gross and fine motor development, stronger immune systems, better sleep, reduced nearsightedness risk, and healthier vitamin D levels. And yes—kids return to the classroom ready to learn. As we like to say: when children have space to run, they have more energy to think.
Classical Education: Body, Mind, and Spirit
Rooted in classical education, ACCA follows in the footsteps of educators like Plato and Plutarch, who emphasized the development of both body and mind. Plutarch wrote that boys must be trained in body and mind to live wisely and well. At ACCA, we echo this philosophy: the formation of a whole child requires not only knowledge but also strength, courage, and temperance.
Outdoor play strengthens the body and builds resilience and social maturity. Unstructured play encourages negotiation, teamwork, conflict resolution, and creativity—skills essential to becoming wise, kind, and capable adults.
The Importance of (Healthy) Risk
Children must learn to take functionally guided risks—physical and emotional challenges that build courage and perseverance. Climbing trees, navigating the woods, or competing in outdoor games gives students opportunities to assess danger, make choices, and grow in confidence. Most childhood injuries are minor, while the long-term benefits to emotional resilience are significant.
At ACCA, risks are intentional and moderated. Recklessness is never encouraged, but there’s a golden space between danger and overprotection. It is in that space that children grow bold.
A Return to Childhood
Our outdoor philosophy isn’t an escape from modern life—it’s a return to the essence of childhood. In an era of rising technology and mental health concerns in children, ACCA offers a thoughtful, research-supported approach that nurtures both heart and mind.
Outdoor time isn’t a trend—it’s a reflection of our values: delight, curiosity, courage, and reverence for the natural world. As students explore the woods, collaborate on fort designs, or simply lie under a tree with a book, they are becoming the resilient, joyful, and free individuals we hope to raise.
As families consider the rhythm of the new year and the kind of education that supports a child’s body, mind, and spirit, we invite you to experience this philosophy in person. Our final Open House of the admissions season is on January 9, and we would love to welcome you to campus to see how outdoor learning is woven intentionally into every aspect of life at ACCA.
Sometimes the clearest answer to screen fatigue, stress, and over-scheduling isn’t adding something new—it’s returning to what children have always needed most.
