Weekly park visits linked to stronger child development

A study led by the University of Exeter has found that children taken to parks at least once a week from birth through age 11 had stronger social-emotional development and scored higher on mental-health assessments than children who visited less often. Researchers cautioned that the findings show an association, not proof that park visits cause the differences.

The analysis included 4,219 children in the Children of the 90s study, also known as the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children. Researchers examined park visits and social-emotional development between ages four and 11. The study was published in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health.

Children taken to parks at least weekly over the period scored an average 16.5% higher on mental-health assessments than those who went less often. The researchers adjusted the analysis for socioeconomic status and family adversity. The comparison covered children’s visits from birth through age 11, not just visits recorded during the assessment years.

The researchers also found that children tended to show better social-emotional development during periods when they visited parks more frequently. Those who went more...