We think every DAY should be “Mother’s Day” but for over 100 years we have been officially celebrating moms on the second Sunday in May.
Topics: Community Parks Play & Fitness Playground Design & Planning
Help Kids Develop Motor Skills with Time on the Playground
Childhood is a time for learning and developing skills that will benefit kids as they grow up. For many kids, the playground serves as their very first classroom, giving them a chance to learn social skills and gain excellent problem-solving abilities. Beyond that, each type of specialized play equipment helps kids develop fine and gross motor skills of all kinds. Here’s how that works.
Camping Looks to be a Popular Outdoor Activity in 2021
Everybody loves the great outdoors, especially camping and campgrounds. While hotels and airplanes were skipped by many last year after the COVID-19 pandemic started, many were able to social distance and vacation by camping.
Ashley Rossi, managing editor of Togo RV, told the USA Today this month, “Traveling with your travel bubble to a campground is one of the easiest ways to follow social distancing and maximize your time outside – you can avoid indoor dining, bring everything you need with you, socialize comfortably outdoors and get direct access to hiking trails and other outdoor activities.”
Topics: Play & Fitness Childhood Unplugged
The Benefits of Outside Play For Depression
The normal routines kids enjoyed just a few months ago are almost nonexistent today. They often aren’t allowed to see their friends or go to each other's house to play. If they played sports or enjoyed being part of a group of any sort, that has likely ended. Everyone around them is distant and wearing a mask covering their faces. Only their closest family hug them as everyone on the outside is keeping their six foot distance.
This has led many kids to experience the very real effects of depression for the first time in their lives. It’s understandable. After all, we as humans are social beings, so denying that need would understandably lead to anxious or sad feelings. Thankfully, there are ways to help your child overcome the doldrums they are experiencing by embracing the great outdoors through play.
Topics: Play & Fitness Childhood Unplugged Pediatric Health & Wellness
Why Your Kids Need to be Playing Outside... Even in a Pandemic
Normally when the days get longer and the weather becomes nicer, you'll see kids flocking to the playgrounds, basketball courts, soccer fields and more to enjoy time outdoors. Then, of course, the COVID-19 pandemic hit and playgrounds across the country were shuttered in an effort to stop the spread of the virus. Now that the country is opening back up, so too are playgrounds - and that's a good thing.
Topics: Community Parks Play & Fitness Pediatric Health & Wellness
Social distancing – it’s like a never-ending rainy day, without the rain. We’re not stuck indoors due to anything our kids can see and the electricity still works; thank goodness! With many adults now unexpectedly working from home and schools closed, the simple answer for an activity is indulging in different forms of screen time on repeat. But we all know the easy way out isn’t always the best way.
Topics: Play & Fitness Pediatric Health & Wellness Mental Health
Childhood obesity has become a growing problem in recent generations. With today's technology-driven landscape, many kids don't move as much as they should, which means they're not burning calories. As a result, their bodies accumulate more fat than generations before them did. According to the CDC, obesity affects about 13.7 million children and adolescents between the ages of two and 19, which is about 18.5% of that population. Children between the ages of 12 and 19 have the highest obesity rates, measuring at 20.6% of the population.
5 Smart Updates to Modernize Your Playground
If your playground is starting to show its age, consider adding a few modern pieces to breathe new life into the space. By simply changing the ground cover or installing new equipment, you can update your playground without performing a full overhaul. But first, you must dream up your perfect playground space. Use the following elements to guide your vision and get thinking about modernizing your playground.
Topics: Playground Surfacing Play & Fitness Playground Design & Planning
With the brisk breezes and changing leaves, fall is an exciting time of year. It's also the perfect opportunity to plan some fun activities with your kids before the weather turns cold for the winter. Below are some of the best activities to do with your kids during the fall.
Fine Motor Skill Development and Playground Play
Dexterity and fine motor skills require the use of many small muscles in sync. Parents tend to associate the playground with the development of gross motor abilities like jumping and running, but it also improves fine motor skills.
Topics: Play & Fitness Childhood Unplugged