When I was a child, I loved climbing on a huge, pyramid-shaped climbing net at a playground in my city. Although it was difficult to climb, I’d go as high up as I could. It was an exhilarating experience! I also remember making many friends as I swung on the swing, asking questions, and then, deciding to play together. See-saws, monkey bars, slides, these are all a cherished and integral part of growing up.
Phones, laptops, video games…children nowadays have the option to choose from many kinds of indoor entertainment and hardly go outside! Our technology-driven lives have started to dominate the way our children see the world. Although that’s not fully bad, the benefits of outdoor play far outweigh any advantages technology may have.
Let’s take a look at what makes playground activities not only super fun but equally (if not more) necessary for today’s kids.
Improves Social and Creative Skills
When there are many children of different ages on the playground, they get together in groups and create their own games to play. Sometimes a child befriends another child and they play together. Mixing up kids in a playground is a fun way for them to know other children and relate to them. While navigating the rules of games, supporting each other, waiting for their turn, or (sometimes) getting into a squabble, children develop problem-solving and creative thinking skills, too.
Quick Tip: Adult supervision is of the utmost importance when you let your kids out to play. Making sure that the playground equipment is safe and that none of the kids are roughhousing enables a friendly and safe environment for kids to explore. ALWAYS keep an eye out.
An outdoor area with obstacle courses, slides, sandpits, etc. fuels the imagination of children, allowing them to create stories, tackle imaginary monsters and stormy seas, building their cognitive skills and firing up new neural pathways. By putting them in new environments, it gives their minds and bodies some work to do. Which brings us to our next obvious benefit…
Improves Physical Strength and Motor Skills
While younger kids on the playgrounds brisbane discover the marvels of having 4 limbs to run around and play with, older kids are getting the physical activity they need to strengthen their bodies and help them grow. Climbing, balancing, running, and falling play important roles for kids to learn about their bodies and abilities. Moreover, some exercise keeps illness and obesity away!
Playing also has health benefits; kids who play outside are known to sleep better and wake up fresher.
Quick Tip: Examine the equipment at the playground before you let your kids play on them. Sometimes they can get rusty, faulty, or broken which might cause harm to a child.
Happy playing!
