The Importance of Outside Playtime
Outside playtime for kids is very important. And while there are plenty of benefits associated also with online toys and games for kids, getting outdoors in the fresh air has a number of benefits that no child should miss out on. Here we outline the main reasons why getting outdoors for playtime is really beneficial for your child:
- Children create their own games- Rather than when they are inside playing video games, outside play allows children to be creative, and make up their own games and rules. This not only helps them explore their creativity, but it also helps them develop important decision making skills and problem solving skills.
- Exercise- Children who spend most of their playtime inside on the computer or playing video games don’t get the same level of exercise as those kids that choose to play outdoors. Outdoor play helps boost fitness levels.
- Developing important skills- The great outdoors provides a play land of possibilities with different textures, colours and sounds to explore. Not only does outside play help children develop problem solving skills but it also assists with the development of motor-funct
ion skills and even emotional intelligence.
- The social aspect- When children are free to play outside, they learn to develop important social skills. This is because when they are playing indoors, at school for example, they may not have the opportunity to choose who they work with. However when they have free play outside they are able to decide who they want to play with, and their social interaction skills get more of a workout.
- Important to the childhood years- If you really think about your childhood, one of the things that most people would say is that outdoor play is a huge part of what they remember. Outdoor play helps kids to experiment, discover and push their limits through activities where they can dance, yell and run without the boundaries of indoor play which require children to be careful and keep their voices at a lower level.
- Children learn about the world around them- Being able to play outdoors and learn about gravity for example, by knowing we can slide down the slide not up, and that snow feels cold when we touch it, means that they can learn so much about nature and the world around them and how it works. While this can also be taught in the classroom, through play and discovery young children are often better able to remember things they’ve learnt through outdoor play and actually experiencing while they are leaning.
If your child is more interested in playing video games then getting outside, consider buying them toys that encourage outdoor play. Ultimately if you guide your child to find and discover just how much fun there is to be had outside, they’ll not only learn more, but they’ll eventually trade the hours of indoor activity after school for a few hours of outdoor play on returning home each day.
