Benefits of Playing Outside
With the advancement and popularity of technology today, it can be difficult to get kids playing outside more.
The benefits of outdoor play over indoor though can be invaluable.
From physical fitness levels, emotional and mental health improvements, and overall social skills, your child can benefit immensely from more outdoor play.
Physical Fitness
Likely the most obvious positive outcome from your kids playing outside more often, their natural physical fitness levels will improve dramatically.
Whether they are out playing touch football, jumping around on the trampoline, or playing a friendly game of tag, any of these activities will be far better than sitting on the couch for hours on end playing video games and watching TV.
Obesity related illnesses is one of the biggest problems facing American adults today.
Stopping this trend as well as childhood obesity all begins at a young age in getting kids into a more physically fit state of mind.
Social Skills
Parents all want their children to be great with other kids and know how to communicate better with others, and getting them outside with friends will help them master these skills.
When your child it outside playing with other kids, they will learn how to solve more problems and think critically.
By playing outside with other children, they will also learn how to work as a team and make new friends.
Your child will meet a wide variety of people in their lives and have to work alongside with them.
Getting them to be a people person early on will help their overall development into adulthood.
Intellectual Development
Your child's mind is like a sponge that soaks up everything they come into contact with.
Both good and bad, your child will be exposed to many things when playing outside, but it will give them invaluable exposure to the world around them at a very critical time of their lives.
While learning in the classroom and developing their book smarts is essential to success, learning street smarts will help them immensely throughout their lives.
Stronger Imagination
Whether they are outside playing with other friends, or just by themselves in the backyard, your child will develop a much stronger imagination by having to make up their own games when playing outside.
Whether it's creating a magical world where they go on adventures, or playing a game of soccer in front of thousands of imaginary fans, your child's creativity can be stimulated more when they are having to think up the entertainment, rather than having to entertain themselves constantly.
By letting your child play outside instead of them having unlimited screen time, you can boost their overall health and hopefully create better habits for themselves in the long run.
It all starts with you as a parent, so take advantage of the summer to get your kids on the right track.