While the world is advancing technologically every day, kids seem to be spending more and more time indoors. Have we forgotten the benefits of playing outdoor games? Due to this increase in the amount of time being spent by the children indoors, has led to numerous amount of studies which have been published owing to the negative impact on the kid’s health and development.
Letting your kids play and explore the environment outside, not only helps them to develop strength and muscles but also helps them increase their coordination power along with gaining self-confidence. While there are several numbers of benefits associated to the kids involving in activities outdoors, we have summed up a few highlights of the health benefits of outdoor play for your children that you must know.
Benefits of Outdoor Play for Children:
An overall development for kids includes the mind and body. Thus, outdoor games for children have the below benefits.
1. Learning:
The learning could be just one word but has a very deep meaning to it. Have you observed that putting the educational equipment outdoors, kids learn sooner through play? Yes, fun and interesting way to keep up their interest is to let the kids play and learn new information and skills outdoors. Learning in the classroom could be monotonous however, outdoor games benefits the kids to encourage learning as an ongoing process and keeps them motivated.
2. Creativity:
One of the most interesting benefits of outdoor games play for kids is to increase their creativity. A great way to help kids to explore their surroundings and expand their area of knowledge is by playing outdoors. Studies have proven that a kid’s imagination is stimulated by the objects around them.
3. Promotes Social Skills:
The kids engaging in an unstructured play promotes a wide range of skills for the children to learn from. Not everyone on the playground gets to swing or slide first, they have to learn to wait in the queue and/or ask their fellow players to let them go first. Playing in the playground for your kid is not just running around and being active but also learning various social skills that you might have not been able to teach them with the indoor games.
The behavioural skills or the social skills enhance in them only once they are let free in an environment to learn on their own, it cannot be forced in them. Learning language and other cognitive skills along with communication and emotional or social balance is very vital. While kids play outdoors, they are made to join in games and activities and making new friends. Most of the times, the kids do not seek adult supervision here and yet learn to grow socially.
4. Improves Physical Fitness:
While we have spoken about the various developmental factors, the most important point is the health benefits of kids playing outside. Undoubtedly, kids are more active outdoors as compared to indoors. In this due process, they strengthen their muscles and build stronger bones, gaining fitness levels and burn out the extra energy and calories. The open-air exercise for all their limbs makes their body better and physically fit.
5. Learn Discipline and Obey Rules:
Playing in teams and having the motive to win helps the kids to learn discipline and obey the rules of the game. When they play a sport, they abide by its rules and in case of a foul game, they know that they will be pulled out. Kids learn to play a clean game according to the rules of the play.
6. Increases Attention Span:
Kids are let free to investigate more when outdoors. According to the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention, outdoor games help kids to reduce the risk of being a victim of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). The symptoms of ADHD in children reduces with the exposure of the kids to the natural setting outdoor like the beach, parks, and after-school play or weekend outings or any activities. Outdoor games clearly have advantages in reducing the effect of ADHD in kids.
7. Kids feel Stress Free:
Kids also feel stressed sometimes and lead to their emotional imbalance. When it comes to stress, the most natural remedy is to know the outlet of stress. Giving kids the freedom to play outdoors helps them to feel calmer and happier. Playing outdoors is relaxing and healing for children. It helps the kids to get rid of the built up energy and encourages them to be more focused on their activities.
8. Increase vitamin D levels:
Vitamin D has several health benefits right from strengthening the bones to helping the prevention of diabetes and several heart diseases. The more the exposure to the outdoors and sunlight, the more the free natural supplements to Vitamin D for your kids. Vitamin D deficiency in children is very severe. You must allow your kids to play outside for some time every day without sunscreen.
Although we have read the importance of sunscreen for kids to prevent cancer due to the ultraviolet rays from the sun, however, sunscreen also blocks away from the vitamin D which is essential for the body. Once your kid has soaked up the sun for a while, you can then slather on the lotion. Usually, the early morning sun is very mild and more of vitamin D.
You must also cater to the kid’s vitamin D levels from the healthy nutritious food. Also, consult your paediatrician to know other options for the source of Vitamin D for your child.
Few outdoor activities for kids: After having read the advantages and disadvantages of the outdoor game, it is time to know about some great outdoor activities you must indulge your kids in.
1. Plant a Garden:
The gardening could be an excellent experience for your kids and the satisfaction comes along with it for having to care for a plant over time. Gardening brings in environmental awareness for your child to understand nature early in life. Exposing kids to nature is the best way to introduce them to outdoor activities.
2. Use your Backyard for Games:
If you have a backyard, you can always allow your kids to use the space to play under your supervision. They can set up a camp or even make their play set up by gathering the pine cones or pebbles and flowers. There are various games you could play with the gathered objects like matching or pairing the like things in a bag etc.
3. Scavenger Hunt:
Go on a hunt with your kids to a nearby park or wildlife. Have a list of things ready for your kids to hunt and check out the same. It will be fun to see how many things your child can find out. Or let them draw a picture of what they see or take notes of their observation.
4. Build a Bird Feeder:
Help your child to make a bird feeder using peanut butter on the pinecone and putting it outside near a window. Or using a paper plate, hang it on a tree branch with some grains on it. Kids love to see outdoors and connect to nature.
5. Go on a Day Trip or Outing:
The other interesting way to get kids to enjoy outdoors is by taking them to a trip to a park or museum. Go on a picnic and away from home to get your kids to learn about nature and explore more.
As you have already read the benefits of playing outdoor games, if you have anything further to add in here, please write to us via the comments section below. Let us know your thoughts and how you encourage your children to connect to nature and outdoor activities.
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