We Speak Playground

Today, we are able to give our youngsters a bit more of an advantage than we might have had. As adults, our era involved a bit of climbing, but we mostly only had trees to satisfy our urges to get higher in life. Thankfully, we have access to playground equipment that lets our kiddos (and playful adults) get as high as they need. Let’s explore some of the benefits that climbing offers the mind and body.

While there is no denying that adults love music, we can potentially not recognize how beneficial the sweet sounds of harmony can be for our young ones. In early childhood, the wonderful sounds of music can have a major impact on the development and growth and development of children. With that in mind, let’s cover some ways to cultivate this musical environment in the playground.

With summer kicking off in full force, plenty of kids are anxious as ever to find something that will occupy their free time. While some kids have siblings to blow off steam, others might only have themselves and their parents to spend the day with. Need help finding some ways to entertain your only child? Here are some useful tips to keep an only child occupied.

Whether you’re a parent, caregiver or teacher, it’s only natural to want all of the children in your life to have plenty of friends and fun growing up. As an adult, it’s likely you’ve seen kids struggle to make friends—even in a playground or group setting. However, with a bit of guidance, compassion and knowledge, you can assist youngsters with making new friends and getting along with others, which are skills that serve them for a lifetime.

Springtime means more outdoor time -- and not a moment too soon! While playgrounds are known for being spaces for kids, they are just as valuable for the adults in their lives, too. Playgrounds invite parents to get active with their kids, bring them outside to enjoy the fresh air and sunlight, and bond with their children while having fun. 

Are today's children (and their millennial parents) starved for risk taking? The popularity of reality shows like Survivor and Wipeout would suggest this is true as would their penchant for video games like Minecraft and Fortnite. All offer vicarious risk-taking from the safety and comfort of their homes.

Many people don’t understand how important it is for children to play and learn how to play. They often see it as something inconsequential that children do to have fun or let off steam. The truth is though, is that play is very important for a child’s emotional, physical, psychological, and social development. It helps them not only learn how to function in the world but also how to understand and navigate it.

As an adult with responsibilities at work and at home, carving out time to play may seem like a luxury you can’t easily afford. But just as there are benefits for children playing outside with their peers, there’s also something to be said for parents spending time with their offspring at a local park or playground.

Read on for insight into why you will want to be playing with your child.

Young children are incredibly impressionable. Part of the reason they are so prone to fall in love with creative characters and over the top story lines—whether those are colorful puppets or clever puppy-dogs or princesses and pirates that are off to save the world.

Children and playgrounds have gone hand-in-hand since the first playground appearance in the United States in 1886. Unfortunately, today, kids are opting for more screen time than in-person play, some spending as much as seven hours a day on tablets or smartphones once they reach the teen years. Some children even as young as six months are using screen time in place of physical play.

Unfortunately, this propensity to replace physical outdoor play with inside screen time means kids are not getting their recommended 60 minutes a day engaging in physical activity—based on the United States Department of Health and Human Services daily recommendations. Thankfully, there is a way to make playgrounds more appealing, even to the modern generation and break them away from electronic play, getting them outdoors.