When you were a kid, your parents probably didn't want you to play too much, thinking that it would affect your grades in school. Now that you're a parent, that's an attitude that you might have to shift. Did you know that play teaches your children some important life skills?
It's true. Play is important to your child's healthy development. It's so important in fact, it lays the foundation for your children becoming well adjusted adults. Where can your child meet others to play? At the playground of course.
What your children learn at the playground
Social skills
Outside of your family home, the jungle jim at recess or after school is the first place your child learns to interact with others.
They learn that they must be polite and wait their turn to use the playground equipment. They learn that pushing, shoving and bullying behaviour won't be tolerated by their peers. Children who carry on in this manner soon find themselves without friends.
They learn to have conversations with their friends, ask each other about the world and listen to each other's answers. They learn to share their ideas and listen to the point of views of others. As a parent, you probably hadn't realised how important this time was and how many of your children's earliest social interactions shaped their ability to be at ease with others as adults.
Provides a space for physical exercise
Thirty years ago, it was commonplace to see children engaged in physical activity. With the proliferation of the Internet, video games and 24 hour television programming for children, like adults, children have become increasingly sedentary. This has led to a rise in obesity and juvenile diabetes among young children.
When children gather together on a playground, they get the exercise they need to stave off these conditions. Through companies like Moduplay, you can even invest in a few pieces of equipment for your backyard to get your children moving.
Help prevent the development of serious disease in your children. These can develop into life threatening conditions when they are adults.
Strengthens their immune system
If your child catches every single cold or flu, chances are that your child has a weak immune system. Unless your child is seriously ill, they may benefit from exposure to other children on the playground.
Toys and knick knacks aren't the only things children exchange on a playground. They also exchange germs. As your child's exposure to common microbes increases, you'll find that their immune system becomes more resilient.
Develops creative thinking skills
Children instinctively know how to think outside the box. They have this ability sharpened by playing on a playground. The play horse becomes their white charger. A stick becomes their sword. Their nap time blanket becomes a cape. The tree at the end of the yard is the princess they have to rescue.
This creative use of imagination helps them develop critical thinking skills that gives them an edge over their adult counterparts who never developed this faculty. They are better problem solvers and are more resilient as a result.
Develops ability to work in teams
One piece of playground equipment that immediately teaches your child the meaning of collaboration is the see-saw. Without a partner, they can't make it go up and without them, the other child stays on the ground as well. However, two of them working together make it a fun ride.
Same thing with the swings. Sure, they can propel the swing back and forth if they use their feet, but it's so much more fun if a friend pushes them. When it's their friend's turn, they push the swing. They learn that most success in life comes from assisting others and allowing themselves to be assisted in turn. They also learn to ask for help, if they need it.
Children learn emotional regulation
If you've ever seen a child throw a tantrum in a public place, it's likely the child hasn't learned to regulate their emotions yet. The child has probably been disappointed in some way and has chosen to express this inappropriately through anger and screaming.
Through proper socialisation on the playground, your child learns that a tantrum is not the best way to express their disappointment at not getting access to a certain piece of equipment or others not playing with them. This is another useful skill they can carry over into adulthood.
Children gain confidence
With the development of all the qualities listed above, it is inevitable that your child's confidence will grow. They'll be more willing to approach others to join their games. They'll be more likely to attempt to use equipment they previously thought was scary, like the slide.
Your child's growing confidence will spillover into other areas in their life. They'll be quicker to volunteer in school and at home now because of it.
You didn't think that play or a playground could do all of that, could you? Next time you're tempted to limit your children, let them loose in a playground, you may be surprised at what develops.
