Kids tend to spend more and more time at home, from playing on iPads straight to watching TV. The increase in the number of children spending much of their time has contributed to the publishing of many reports demonstrating the adverse effect on their health and wellbeing. Evidence has also shown that children playing outdoors have several benefits.
Let’s know about the benefits of outdoor play for toddlers briefly:
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Good for Mental Health
It may be impossible to believe that children may suffer from stress or depression or anxiety because for the children of today who have full school and extracurricular schedules these difficulties are becoming more prevalent. Outdoor sports can help children relieve their depression. Physical exercise can benefit children. A study shows that outdoor play will relieve stress and have a positive effect on disorders such as anxiety or a hyperactivity disorder.
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A great way of learning
Benefits of outdoor play for toddlers great learning opportunities. Through putting outdoor education tools, kids quickly learn by play, which is a good way to help kids learn new knowledge and skills. In addition, outdoor learning allows children to realize that learning is not just something they do in the classroom but an evolving process. No wonder kids who play sports are also outstanding in academics. You should add the same discipline values and hard work gained from investing in your studies. 75 percent of brain growth takes place after birth according to the Child Development Institute. Physical activity makes a child establish connections between cells of the nerve and the brain. The creation of these relations will improve the motor skills of the infant, socialization, self knowledge, vocabulary, imagination and problem-solving. Ideal athletic activity involves exploring and solving challenges through social experiences.
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Body Fitness
There are also health benefits of outdoor play for toddlers. Additional space encourages children to play, which also enables them to develop healthy bones and good strength, which also encourages them to eat more energy and calories. Even in the sun, even in winter, children consume essential vitamin D, which is very effective for bone health and if children do not get the required amount of Vitamin D then its deficiency may cause rickets. Outdoor activities have several health benefits for toddlers. Physical exercise promotes early brain growth and literacy for kids and young children, as reported by the North Carolina Child Care Health and Safety Information Centre. This also reduces the risk of cardiovascular problems such as coronary heart disease, stroke, diabetes mellitus and obesity, as well as many others.
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Improvement in child’s social skills
Since outdoor spaces are usually less crowded than indoors, they are less intimidating and enable children to get out of their shells spontaneously and to become more social. That ensures the children will be more able to take part in games and play, and will also chat and make new friends more often. Each of these allows children to develop cognitive competencies and to communicate separately from parental control with other children. It promotes their social learning as children play outdoors with other children. Play helps children to understand how to operate in communities and how to communicate, compromise and settle disputes. Kids who can play by games can learn new skills and encounter challenges, to foster trust, courage and self-advocacy, and help kids develop healthier relationships and leadership.
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Outdoor play grooms the toddler
It is often seen that children playing outdoors build their own small house. That may be a treehouse of a house made with cushions or pillows. Outdoor houses always seem attractive to children. So many children like to make their own tentative house to play outdoors. These houses come in different themes and shapes that make the child even more excited to build it. As your child starts making his own tentative house, he becomes much groomed. He gains experience in how to manage accommodation while he is away from home like when he is hiking etc.
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Outdoor play promotes self-esteem
Sports can have a profound positive impact on the self-esteem and trust of a boy. Children engaging in sports receive encouragement and guidance from coaches and parents to create confidence. Children also learn to trust and drive themselves through their own strengths. Constructive feedback is also an integral aspect of the engagement in competition, and young people learn how to tolerate and profit from such scrutiny. The American Academy of Psychiatry for Children and Teenagers recommends that parents positively engage themselves in ensuring children benefit from outdoor activities.
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Kids learn Independence
The wide space to play means that children outdoors are still not specifically supervised by adults. This makes them gain freedom while engaging socially with other children and learn to play alone. They learn how to play sports, how to gather themselves and then discuss equipment unknown to enable children to be self-reliant and independent.
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A great way to explore the world
Outdoor play equipment also has a bit more risk factor than indoor play equipment. If it’s motivating kids to slide or attempt tough play routes, outdoor play facilities may help children learn to test their limits and to get a strong risk appraisal. It also helps them to learn to do new things without being guided by adults and to play new sports.
Bottom Line
Mostly physical play takes place outdoors and provides children with the ability to use vigorous movement and loud voices to release their strength. Most children grow their ability to walk and run naturally. Nevertheless, practice and guidance are required to develop the ability to galop, slide, grab, leap, throw and kick. Such skills are incorporated into sports, games, and dance by youngsters. Space for a child is the ideal location for the formation of mental relations, socializing and improving fine and gross motor skills.
So never stop your child of outdoor play, it has vast amount of benefits for your toddler!