Do you know the benefits of outdoor play? Children are naturally drawn to playing outside, with opportunities to explore, be active and have fun. Video game consoles and other indoor technology have pulled kids indoors for some years now, but there are many benefits of outdoor play, and some you may not have considered before.
Some benefits of playing outside are obvious – for example, as many of you with kids will know, football games inside generally aren’t a great idea unless you want to smash that lamp on the table and make a hole in the living room door.
When the weather is nice (or at least not rainy!) outdoor play is great fun, but here are some of the extra benefits:
The Heath Benefits of Outdoor Play
There are clear health benefits associated with outdoor play. Children need to exercise daily, and enough to get them out of breath. Outdoor activities including running, climbing, swinging and bouncing are great for bone strengthening, muscle building and cardiovascular.
Exercise is also great for emotional health, allowing them to relax and be calm. This can be an essential part of your child’s physical and emotional development. Being outside can be calming, allowing them to recharge their energy levels.
Natural experiences outdoors
We are naturally attracted to the outdoors, and playing outside stimulates curiosity and creativity. This also boosts children’s confidence as they learn new things about their environment. A little bit of freedom, with guidance and supervision from an adult, can develop, whilst playing outside.
Outdoor play is fun
Let’s remember that playing outside is great fun! Sliding down a slide, or swinging on a swing, rushing forwards and feeling the air buzzing past is a great experience for growing kids. Creating an adventure with the surroundings, complemented with an active imagination is something every child loves.
Ideas
Safety is important, and with the outdoor toys available these days, there is very little need to go away from the garden for an adventure. With garden climbing frames, kids can climb, hideaway and escape, with parent supervision. Slides and swings provide a rush and for more intense outside exercise, trampolines and bouncy castles are great fun! (You can read about the benefits of trampolining in our recent blog post.)
For family fun, outdoor games are great, allowing kids to get a lot of exercises. And at Epic Play, we also sell mini football goals for the garden, so you don’t have to risk damaging your furniture and doors!
