The economic downturn has forced the majority of consumers to tighten their purse strings and while parents will always spend on activities outside of the home, getting value for money in terms of prolonged periods of play, has become increasingly important.

As the economic crisis deepens, the press has highlighted a growing trend toward ‘staycationing', otherwise known as holidaying at home. It costs nothing to go out into the garden or to the local park and yet it offers all the opportunities for physical exercise and fresh air that a child could need, developing their fine and gross motor skills in the process. Highlighting the features and benefits of outdoor play will help your customers to resource their homes more effectively and make your business more profitable in the summer months. An outdoor range also enables you to offer sun safety products, marketing them alongside trikes, climbing frames and other outdoor fun equipment, as absolute summer  essentials.

Play, Development and Early Education by Johnson, Christie and Wardle, agrees that physical play should be encouraged by climbing equipment and swings, "...tricycle paths and large areas of grass and hills on which children can run and infants and toddlers can lie, crawl and roll." Big toys, tricycles, scooters, balls, jogging and wagons are also highlighted as fun and vital outdoor products and activities.

Christie and Wardle go on to suggest that climbing equipment for infants and toddlers should be ‘very basic', including a crawling tunnel, small steps and a slide. It is also recommended that special attention be paid to barriers, the railings and sides of raised equipment. A variety of sloped areas are said to help children learn to adjust their balance on differing surfaces. "Rolling, crawling, running and climbing and swinging on swings are absolutely crucial activities for young children."

The perfect environment for construction activities and other craft based persuits that would normally be restricted in the home because of the mess that can be made, children can use water, sand or paint much more freely in the garden. What's more, woodwork and building with blocks, wheeled toys and lots of loose objects are all part of what makes being outside so much fun.

"Dramatic play requires children to impose details, information and meaning into their play. Dramatic play structures should be very simple and basic in design and construction." Wardle's assessment of why the outdoors is effective in promoting imaginative play is absolutely right. Though times have changed and there is now much more available on the market, many of us can remember making tea in our Wendy Houses or building a base in the garden and calling it home. For smaller retailers it is reassuring to know that current research lends itself well to stocking perhaps one or two types of fairly basic construction. Imaginative play is founded on individual ideas and expression and is not to be constricted by products that are too specific.

Promoting the outdoors has enormous benefits for the health and well being of the next generation. As a retailer, linking up with local community projects to better resource and monitor play areas and outdoor activities will help raise awareness for parents and children.