Could outdoor play make children smarter? Well in previous Jungle Gym posts we have written there is certainly a drive to encourage children to play outdoors and be more active. Kay Redfield Jamison, who is a clinical psychologist wrote – “Children need the freedom and time to play. Play is not a luxury. Play is a necessity.” The organisers of Project Wild thing agree and say that swapping 30 minutes of television and computer games each day for outdoor play would increase the levels of fitness and alertness and improve children’s well-being. Would it make children smarter? Well children learn through a whole host of different experiences and environments and the great outdoor is one of them. Being outside allows children to explore with all their senses, make new discoveries and engage in imaginary play.
Jungle Gym Climbing Frames & Play
Having a Jungle Gym Climbing frame in your back garden will certainly help children develop physically and mentally. A wooden climbing frame helps children develop balance and coordination skills. Something that they are not going to learn in front of the TV, unless they are balancing on the sofa! It also helps children to strengthen their muscles through climbing on the Jungle Gym or swinging on the swing. Whilst playing on the climbing frame children are having fun, which helps to reduce stress and encourages them to be active. Research has shown that children who play outside are less likely to be obese and more likely to be active learners. Maybe leading to them to be smarter?
Jungle Gym Climbing Frames & Imaginary Play
A climbing frame can be a great stimulus for imaginary play. Childrens imagination can be allowed to run free when they are playing outdoors. Playing outdoors allows children to create their own world, which is only limited by their imagination. A Jungle Gym Climbing frame often is transformed into a ship, or a castle or a princess tower. In fact the Jungle Gym Climbing frame is often a different thing every day, depending upon where a child’s imagination takes them. When playing with friends on a climbing frame children learn how to work together and take turns. It encourages them how to compromise and work together so they all get a chance to play.
Having a Jungle Gym climbing frame in your back garden is just one way to encourage children to play outdoors and have some healthy, active fun. Cath Prisk, the director of Play England said “Fundamentally, we believe that kids should be outside playing for a good proportion of the day because it is how you can stay happy, less stressed but it is also good in a whole range of ways.” We agree.