Researchers test whether greener daycare yards can prevent allergies

Researchers in Finland are studying whether bringing more natural elements into daycare yards can help prevent allergies and other immune disorders in children. The three-year project compares children at redesigned daycares with children at regular daycares, Yle reported.

Researchers from the University of Tampere and the University of Eastern Finland are following children’s microbes, immune function, stress levels and general health. The study runs from 2024 to 2027 and includes 40 daycares across Finland: 20 with greener yards and 20 control daycares. About 120 children aged one to five are taking part.

Earlier research has found that contact with microbes in nature can strengthen the body’s immune defences. The researchers say the first roughly 1,000 days of a child’s life are a sensitive period, when the immune system and the body’s microbiome develop.

One participating daycare is in Oitti, in Hausjärvi. With no forest nearby, natural elements were brought into the play yard, including wood chips, forest-floor vegetation, berry bushes and edible plants. Children can come into contact with natural microbes as they play.

The study received an opportunity to expand after the government provided funding to improve and naturalise daycare yards around Finland. The final results will take several years to analyse. If the health benefits are demonstrated, the findings could influence how daycares and other public properties design their outdoor spaces.