There are lots of classic outdoor games for the children to play. But why the stress on playing outdoor? Let me give you many and many more reasons to convince you to send your child out to play even if you are busy or being lazy.
Playing outdoor
- Helps them breathe fresh air
- Aids in cognitive development where the knowledge is gained through perception, awareness, reasoning, judgement
- Aids in social and emotional development: like meeting and dealing with new people and situations
- Helps learn the art of co-operative play, the art of sharing toys/candies/food
- Help them learn to discover, express themselves and will start understanding the world around them in their own way
- They definitely helps them make friends which is important for their well being
It is very important for the kids to spend time without any strain on either the body or the mind and without their parents always saying what to do and what not to do.
Image courtesy: Google Image search result for “outdoor play”
It is also said that the preschoolers learn many things through senses. When outside the child gets to experience the senses. Children will
See : Trees, plants, flowers, birds, butterflies, animals,
Hear : Birds chirping, the wind rustling through the leaves and airplane flying in the sky
Taste : Taste of a morning dew drop, they can as well taste few leaves like Holy Basil etc
Smell : To smell fragrant flowers, fruit, the smell of the wind just before it rains, the rain-soaked ground, bad smells, good smells. The list is endless.
Touch : Touch of a plant, caterpillar, flower and many more things
But the child who spend time watching TV/computer/phones can develop only two senses seeing and hearing affecting their perceptual abilities.
One of the big benefits of outdoor playing is being free from parental and adult constraints. One theory says all the jeers, taunts, calls, rhymes and teasing that go on when adults aren’t around actually give children the chance to:
- Understand complex speech and language patterns like phonology, lexis, grammar and syntax
- Develop more complex skills around friendships and social engagement
There are definitely a few challenges faced by parents even after agreeing on the the benefits of outdoor play. Few are mentioned below
- Danger of playing on road where people are driving with little driving sense and also of stray dogs.
- There is Stranger Danger which is coupled with the reason that parents having very little or no time supervising children when playing outside
- Few parents are too lazy after a day of tiring work that they engage their children in other indoor activities like TV/Computer/Mobile phones.
As a parent wanting only the best for your child YOU DEFINITELY know what to do. Need I say more? Where there is a will there is way. So find out your way to indulge your child in playing outdoor.
References:
http://www.earlychildhoodnews.com/earlychildhood/article_view.aspx?ArticleID=275
http://www.scholastic.com/parents/resources/article/creativity-play/why-play-outdoors
http://www.kidspot.com.au/Development-Development-The-importance-of-outdoor-play+5384+553+article.htm
Curious and Crazy Kids 