Born Angels

Posts Tagged ‘Outdoor Play’

It seems that barely a week goes by without the media mentioning childhood obesity. Debates rage about food, lack of exercise, too many video games and someone always harks back to the good old days when children played outside, in woods and parks and on the street.

There is a good case for the vital role of outdoor play and more specifically on playground equipment such as children’s climbing frames and swings.

In addition to the obvious opportunity for the children to exercise in a fun way that seems more like play than PE, children’s climbing frames offer a lot of other benefits in terms of physical and cerebral development.

* Being outdoors exposes you to sunlight which is vitally important to health – it gives vitamin D, and studies also show that children who spend more time outside in
the fresh air have lower stress levels and are able to concentrate more.

*Messing about on a climbing frame and in an outdoor environment with its changes and unexpected elements increases a child’s independent mobility – they learn to navigate their surroundings on their own, spotting and judging dangers. It teaches them to be aware of their environment and what they are physically capable of.

*Navigating the different elements of a climbing frame presents a difficult physical challenge from team sports – clambering around, learning how far they can reach
and how strong they are, balancing and supporting themselves is great for developing their co-ordination skills.

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