Even on the snowiest of days, few things make you smile more than driving past a playground full of children. Whether it is in the morning before lunch, at lunch, or in the afternoon, you enjoy watching and listening to children who get a chance to escape the classroom for a few minutes and enjoy the fresh air. In the fall, you watch children creating the largest piles of leaves and then jumping in them, in the winter you watch kids sliding down the side hills on slippery snow pants, and in the spring you watch the children running full speed ahead through field day obstacle courses and rely paths.
If you have been paying attention to any of the news about children and how they learn, it should come as no surprise being on the playground is not only pleasing to people driving by. It is healthy for the children as well. In addition to getting the exercise and fresh air that they need, study after study shows that physical activity during regularly scheduled breaks during the school day help children focus more when they return to the classroom.
When Was the Last Time Your Child’s School Playground Was Updated?
From portable aluminum bleachers to handicap swing chairs, there are a number of things that can be added to playgrounds at schools, churches, and parks to make them function more efficiently. As more and more schools realize that there is an importance to ensuring quality outdoor play to students, it should come as no surprise that there are a number of districts making upgrades to the playgrounds that they have, especially at inner city schools where children may not have access to other great spaces
Another thing that should not come as a surprise is that nearly 33% of parents worry that their child spends too much time on electronic devices. The exact contrast to this, obviously, is running around outside on a well appointed playground. In fact, nearly 83% of parents questioned indicate that while it is important their children learn to use technology, 90% of them would prefer them would prefer that their children spend their time outdoors. From playground swing sets to slides, there are a number of ways that schools, communities, and parents can work together to find the best future for all of our children.
