We Speak Playground

It seems like the pressure on children to produce perfect test scores in school only gets stronger every year. The pressure is equally strong on teachers and education administrators since performance is typically tied to state or federal funding for schools. The STAAR test in Texas is one such example of test performance determining how much money each school receives in state funding.

Today’s children are growing up with screens at their fingertips. They have never had to live without smartphones, tablets or the internet. But studies show that too much screen time can have a negative impact on children. Their brains can actually change, according to The American Academy of Pediatrics. While smart devices can help improve your child’s education, too much time can be damaging.

Childhood obesity has hit an all-time high. The CDC reports that almost one out of every five school-aged children suffers from obesity. Obesity carries with it a plethora of negative consequences for kids. These include problems with self-esteem, health issues, reluctance to socialize, and more. Of course, no parent wants to see a child suffer from being out of shape, let alone obese. Even so-called normal-weight children often don’t get enough exercise. With the abundance of passive playthings like computers, tablets and cell phones, children are even less likely to get the amount of exercise that they need to thrive and grow.

Playgrounds as we know them are a relatively recent phenomenon. Few existed before the 20th century. Many sources claim that the first planned playground in the United States appeared in Boston in 1886, a year after a recreational "sand garden" was created in Germany. The rise of playgrounds coincided with the expansion of industrialization and the middle class, as well as the expansion of urban areas.

Kids have a natural instinct to climb and explore, which I’m sure is not a surprise to anyone who is a parent. Children climb everything — furniture, countertops, trees, playground equipment — EVERYTHING. The question is why?

We talk a lot about the importance of playing on the playground for children. Playing on the playground plays a vital role in the development of a child, it provides them with a healthy dose of vitamin C, it’s a great form of exercise, it helps them learn social skills and it’s just plain FUN.