Letting kids run wild outside is surprisingly good for their brains
'Feral child summer’ isn't just a social media catchphrase. Here’s how unstructured outdoor play builds stronger brains and lasting ties to nature.
A group of children wrestles a heavy log into place, arguing over where it should go. One scrambles up a tree, snagging her shirt on a branch. Another kneels by a puddle, sketching a treasure map into the mud. What’s missing from the scene? Parents hovering nearby, calling “be careful” or intervening in disagreements.
This kind of unsupervised adventure—what social media has dubbed “feral child summer”—is gaining attention as families push back against overscheduled days and screen-heavy routines. The trend isn’t just about nostalgia: a 2018 study found that American children spend 35 percent less time playing freely outdoors than their parents did.
Scientists say this decline matters because unstructured play is good for executive function, emotional regulation, problem-solving, and more. Here’s what’s happening inside children’s brains when they’re given the freedom to run wild.
What happens to the brain during outdoor play?
Letting children spend their days in wild spaces—testing balance on slippery logs, negotiating game rules, solving small but vital problems—may look simple, but to the brain, these moments are a training ground. “Our research shows children allowed to participate in outdoor play become more independent and self-sufficient,” says Ellen Beate Hansen Sandseter, professor at Queen Maud University College of Early Childhood Education. She adds that “risky” play is linked to higher physical and mental well-being, and children who take physical risks often become better at judging other kinds of risk.
This kind of play also acts as a neural exercise, says Bridget Walsh, professor of Human Development and Family Science at the University of Nevada, Reno. Activities like swinging, running, and jumping help regulate emotional states by engaging lower brain regions sensitive to rhythm. They also strengthen pathways in the prefrontal cortex (the brain’s planning and decision-making hub) while engaging the hippocampus, which supports spatial navigation and memory.
Sandseter notes that this kind of play often induces a “flow state,” that sweet spot where challenges are engaging but not overwhelming. In this state, learning potential is at its peak. And researchers say these benefits are amplified when the play happens in natural settings.
Is unstructured play good for child development?
“The natural world offers an unlimited range of potential challenges and new things to discover that no man-made structure can provide,” says Louise Chawla, professor emerita in the Program of Environmental Design at the University of Colorado Boulder. “Nature is full of 'can I do it' activities,” Chawla continues. “Can I lift this rock? Climb this tree?” As kids grow, they revisit challenges they couldn’t manage before, then take on bigger ones.
Chawla adds that nature play is often more cooperative than playground interactions because it sparks group projects, like fort-building or “cooking” with dirt and flowers. Conflicts arise, she says, but kids have a stronger incentive to work them out, building communication and collaboration skills that serve them well throughout life.
(How parents can get over their fear of risky play.)
Although sports and other indoor, structured activities have their benefits, relying on them exclusively means kids aren’t developing executive function skills independently, says Benjamin Powers, senior scientist at Haskins Laboratories. He adds that without practice navigating conflict or novel situations on their own, teens and young adults may struggle when real life doesn’t follow a script.
While it’s never too late to engage in nature, Sandseter says it’s usually easier to build these skills early, when brains are most receptive. Chawla agrees. “The early years are really formative years for feeling comfortable and competent in nature.”
Still, Sandseter emphasizes ability over age: “I am more concerned about competence-appropriate than age-appropriate,” she says. “A child should develop at their own pace and overcome challenges step-by-step because then they learn how to assess and handle risks within the level they can handle.” This scaffolding approach helps children progress safely while still pushing their limits.
There’s also a “timeout” period in the teen years, Chawla says, when social dynamics take precedence and connection with nature dips, often rebounding in adulthood.
Like physical endurance, comfort in nature can be strengthened at any age. But for many families, getting to these experiences is easier said than done.
Growing obstacles to free-range play
Even in countries considered child-friendly, UNICEF reports that many kids live without safe green play areas nearby. In the U.S., some states still have rules that make it harder for children to explore on their own. Parents may also face safety concerns, schedule pressures, or limited infrastructure. In nations without universal health coverage, the potential cost of an injury adds yet another barrier to letting children take risks outdoors.
(How “nature deprived” neighborhoods impact the health of people of color.)
If faced with a lack of access or safety concerns, Chawla recommends small-scale solutions. Bring plants, water, or sand play indoors, or let kids collect loose natural items—leaves, feathers, pinecones—for sensory play. Walsh notes you can build experiences in spaces as small as a welcome mat using a bin of natural materials, and that any amount of nature is better than none.
Benefits of children playing in nature
Our experiences with nature in childhood have the potential for a lifelong impact. A 2024 review of school-led green space programs found consistent improvements to students’ mood, activity, and peer connection, while a European longitudinal study linked high early-life green space exposure to a 55 percent lower risk of psychiatric disorders later on. Across cultures—from Japanese forest bathing to the Nordic practice of friluftsliv—societies recognize that time outdoors nurtures well-being at every age.
(What is “friluftsliv”? How an idea of outdoor living could help us this winter.)
“Playing with nature isn’t just good for children,” Chawla says. “It’s good for the balance of the natural world. People who spend time in nature as children are more likely to care for it as adults.”
