What are environmental factors?

Environmental factors are the things around us that can affect how we feel, what we do, and even how we grow.

Imagine you're playing outside on a sunny day, that's one kind of environmental factor. Now imagine it starts raining, and the ground gets wet and muddy. That rain is another environmental factor, and now your playtime changes, maybe you go inside to draw instead of running around.

• If it’s cold outside, you might wear a coat. The temperature is an environmental factor.
• If there's lots of noise in the house, like from the TV or brothers fighting, that can make it hard to concentrate. That noise is also an environmental factor.
• A big tree in your backyard gives you shade and maybe even a place to climb, that’s a friendly kind of environmental factor!

Just like how different things around you change what you do, environmental factors are the invisible helpers or troublemakers that shape your day.