Technology is steadily gaining ground when it comes to its relevance and importance for today’s society.
New possibilities regarding the use of information and media make it more and more indispensable not only for the commercial sectors but also for leisure time spending.
The trend at that is obvious. Several years ago children spent most of their time playing outside. They used their imagination to create new games, made friends and met with them. However, today many children prefer to spend their time at home.
They play video games, meet friends online and have access to all the content provided on the Internet.
This article is to remind of the benefits for children to play outside. At that, we want to show the impact of outdoor play on the child’s social and physical development.
Why is it so important to Play Outdoor?
Being outside is the perfect place for children to have the freedom to shout, jump and run. At the same time, it gives them the chance to explore the natural environment and have adventures.
Especially for a young kid,s it is essential to use the whole body’s gross motor skills. Because only when they mastered these they are able to improve their fine motor skills that are important at daily tasks like using cutlery or holding a pencil.
Apart from that, open space allows children to challenge themselves physically so they eat and sleep well and create healthy habits in the long term.
Researchers found out that spending time outdoors might also lower your child’s chance of being short-sighted.
And small amounts of sunlight exposure can help boost vitamin D levels which are important to keep bones, muscles, and teeth healthy.
For babies, some fresh air and sunshine during the day might also lead to better sleep at nights and helps to establish a day and night rhythm.
In addition to that, playing outdoor also affects the child’s social development. Kids that play outside often make friends with other kids very quickly.
In the long term, this can lead to great empathy and social skills, which are important during the entire life.
Moreover, children who gain knowledge and appreciation of nature are more likely to get a greater sense of environmental awareness once they are grown ups.
How can I Convince my Children to Play Outside?
Not everyone has easy access to natural spaces outside. But there are parents that live in suburban or rural areas with their families and do have gardens or parks nearby.
Our advice to them is not to spend too much time on planning what the kids are supposed to play outdoors. Just send them out.
Children do have enough imagination and creativity to create their own games and rules and play with other children they meet.
But of course, this is always dependent on the kids’ age. Another good opportunity arises from the fact that children love to help?. This means that outdoor play can include working with your child on everyday tasks like weeding, sweeping the walkway, watering plants or hanging clothes on the line.
Families that live in urban areas and do not have a garden must be more planning. However, they should still encourage their children to play outside several times a day.
Spend time with your children to visit the Local Park or playground, do outdoor activities like riding the bike or scooter. As your child gets older, you could also encourage her to try structured outdoor activities like sports clubs.
The development of today’s society runs in a direction where computers and other technologies become more and more important. Of course it is necessary to prepare your children and train them to handle this these.
But do not forget that there are other things that are at least as important as that. Playing outdoors is essential for the process of growing up.
There are many things that children cannot learn from computers. There is no substitution for building real relationships. So think about a good combination and try to keep the balance between indoor and outdoor activities.
