Why children today NEED outdoor play!
In todays society we are coming across more and more children that are focusing their lives around game consoles and their pc’s. Less children are socialings outdoor and more are becoming dependent on online faclities. There are also another number of reasons for this disturbing trend. Among them is lack of time, as schoolers in our society lead adult-like, highly-scheduled lives and parents themselves have less time to supervise outdoor play or to take their children to the playground. Safety is another issue in today’s world, with many parents reluctant to allow their children the freedom they themselves may have had as children.
Outdoor play is important because kids really gain a sense of mastery and competency of skills from outdoor play. When they do something like climb up a little dirt hill and maneuver their way down, they learn they can do this, which really adds to their sense of confidence. Additionally, it is in the outdoors that children are likely to burn the most calories, which helps prevent obesity, a heart disease risk factor that has doubled in the past decade.
Playing outdoors allows kids to learn a world of things ranging from social and emotional development, such as learning to play differently with others, to lowering their anxiety by letting them burn off some excess energy.
There are different opportunities for kids when they’re outdoors, like hiding in a bush and playing by themselves instead of in a group. It also gives them the opportunity to develop their gross motor skills, not to mention exercise. It’s a chain reaction: they get moving, which in turn gets their hearts pumping leading to more oxygen to their brains. Once they come back inside, they’re ready to learn.
Playing outdoors allows kids to learn a world of things ranging from social and emotional development, such as learning to play differently with others, to lowering their anxiety by letting them burn off some excess energy.
There are different opportunities for kids when they’re outdoors, like hiding in a bush and playing by themselves instead of in a group. It also gives them the opportunity to develop their gross motor skills, not to mention exercise. It’s a chain reaction: they get moving, which in turn gets their hearts pumping leading to more oxygen to their brains. Once they come back inside, they’re ready to learn.
