Over the proceeding 28 days, kids in these last four daycares were given time to play in their new backyard five times a week.
When researchers tested the microbiota of their skin and gut before and after the trial, they found improved results compared to the first group of kids that played in daycares with less greenery for the same amount of time.
Even in that short duration of the study, researchers found microbes on the skin and guts of children who regularly played in green spaces had increased in diversity – a feature which is tied to an overall healthier immune system.
Their results largely matched the second group of kids at daycares who had outings for daily nature time.
Among kids who got outside – playing in the dirt, the grass, and among the trees – an increase in a microbe called gammaproteobacteria appeared to boost the skin’s immune defense, as well as increase helpful immune secretions in the blood and reduce the content of interleukin-17A, which is connected to immune-transmitted diseases.
“This supports the assumption that contact with nature prevents disorders in the immune system, such as autoimmune diseases and allergies,” said Sinkkonen.
The results aren’t fully conclusive of the causal effects of nature on children, and they will need to be verified among larger studies around the world. Still, the benefits of green spaces appear to go beyond our immune systems.
Research shows getting outside is also good for a child’s eyesight, and being in nature as a kid is linked to better mental health. Some recent studies have even shown green spaces are linked to structural changes in the brains of children…
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