5 Reasons to Encourage Outdoor Play
October 25, 2018This post was sponsored by Landscape Structures as part of an Influencer Activation for Influence Central and all opinions expressed in my post are my own.
My kids can easily play outdoors for many hours at a time. Even if we’re not at a playground, my daughters still find ways to entertain themselves in the great outdoors using their imaginations and stuff they find in nature, such as rocks, twigs and leaves. On a typical week, we probably make it to the playground at least five times. Today I’ll be sharing some of the important benefits of playing outdoors on a regular basis.
Since October is Sensory Awareness Month, it’s the perfect time to talk about inclusive playgrounds. I recently visited a local Landscape Structures Inclusive playground and my kids had a great time there! I really appreciate that these playgrounds facilitate a child’s development of physical, cognitive, sensory and social skills. These playgrounds are truly fun and engaging for my kids!
Did you know that Inclusive Play makes it possible for children of all abilities to grow & play together? Through inclusive play, kids can master important life lessons, such as leadership, dedication, and empathy. Furthermore, Landscape Structures inclusive playgrounds promote social equity and foster interactions that make kids thoughtful leaders & dreamers! Now let’s get to the reasons why you should encourage your kids to spend time outside every day.
1. Kids can get physical exercise!
Just like adults, being physically active on a regular basis is healthy for kids. However, kids can’t hop on a treadmill or take a cycling class. The easiest way for kids to get physical exercise on a regular basis is to get outdoors and run around. When doing this, they are developing their gross motor skills and building cardiovascular endurance. It’s also setting the stage for long-term lifestyle habits.
5 Reasons to Encourage Outdoor Play
2. Kids can enjoy the outdoors!
My own childhood was characterized by so much time spent outdoors. I used to explore the yard with my cousins and create all sorts of fun games. Nowadays with the widespread use of television and smartphones, it’s important for kids to foster a love for the simple pleasure of being outdoors. At the playground, my kids’ imaginations soar and they are able to explore, experiment, discover, sing and dance to their heart’s content.
5 Reasons to Encourage Outdoor Play
3. Kids learn about the world!
By spending time outdoors, kids can learn so much about the world around them. What does wet sand feel like? How do plants grow with sunlight? Does a strong wind knock over their water bottles? Why does the slide go faster when it’s wet? Spending time outdoors make it easy for kids to learn about everything from weather to science and so much more.
5 Reasons to Encourage Outdoor Play
4. Kids learn about playing with others!
It’s rare that we visit the playground and don’t meet other kids. Spending time at the playground provides plenty of opportunities to develop social skills. Kids learn to take turns on the structures, push each other on the swing, and more. A good playground has plenty of structures that leave room for imaginative play, such as playhouses and forts. Playing with others at the playground encourages the development of social skills.
5. Kids learn about themselves!
By pushing one’s limits outdoors, kids actually learn about their own physical abilities. Seeing how high one can swing is a very exciting prospect for a child. Or what about how high she can climb up the rope? What happens when she goes down the slide headfirst? These are natural questions or a curious child and it helps them develop and define their own physical limits.
5 Reasons to Encourage Outdoor Play
Don’t forget to visit a Landscape Structures Inclusive Playground to take advantage of all these benefits of playing outdoors. Furthermore, keep in mind that inclusive play goes past accessibility needs; it addresses age & developmental readiness. It also stimulates the senses in a productive, engaging way. Want to check out an inclusive playground near you? Visit PlayLSI.com to search for one in your area.
Bring your kids outdoors and let them play. Have you ever visited a Landscape Structures playground? How do you encourage your kids to play outside every single day?
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My mother use to tell us kids to go outside and blow the stink off of us. Which means to run around play and use up some of our energy. Laugh and have fun. Kids don’t go outdoors enough in todays world.
My daughter loves to be outside, so I don’t have to shove her out there. She’ll just go. My son, on the other hand, would rather be in his room, so he can be difficult. But usually if there’s a pool, he’ll go outdoors.
Outdoor play for kids is very important for their health. I also encourage my kids to spend at least an hour outside every day to play and limit their gadgets use to just 30 minutes or less.
I’m a big believer in outdoor play, Of course, it’s great for their bodies, but it’s also an incredibly creative outlet for them as well.
Landscape Structures provides such a varied array of safe and inclusive equipment. It is great for kids to get out of the house and burn off energy every day.
I definitely think it is important for the kids to the outdoors playing. When I was a kid I don’t think I was ever inside. Times of change now but I really would love it if my kids would be outside more often.
We had the hardest time getting our kids to place outside in the neighborhood. I lived in the same home for 15 years and gave it all up to give the boys some land. We bought a small farm and now they have cats, dogs, chickens, and a pool. So much to do! They also love having their friends over and getting out the metal detector. They have so much room to move now!
I really enjoyed reading this post. These are awesome tips. I always encourage outdoor play with my kiddos.
We encourage the two year olds to get outdoors as much as possible unless it’s inclement ready. Even then they have some indoor climbing equipment.
I think it’s great for kids to get out and play. I try to get my kids to go outside as often as possible. The park is always fun for them.
This is great. Outdoor play is so important. I try to get my kids out often, even when the weather changes its important to me to make sure they have some outside time daily.
Yes I agree with you outdoor play is always important it is not only good exercise. But also enjoying nature.
This is so important for kids! I find our days are SO much better when the kids get some fresh air, and they sleep much better too!