3 Reasons We NEED Our Playgrounds Back!

April 27th through May 1st is National Playground Safety Week and, unfortunately, comes at a time when we are not able to go visit any. 🙁 This COVID-19 Stay at Home order and #socialdistancing is tough on everyone, but I see the struggle often in our children. Just months ago, they would’ve been playing with friends at recess, interacting at school and, as often as we could, going to playgrounds.

This post is sponsored by Voice of Play, but opinions expressed are my own.

The longer we have to stay away, the more I am realizing the benefits that playgrounds provided. As described on Voice of Play, these are just a few benefits of play and why we miss playgrounds most of all.

#1 Physical Benefits of Play

We all know that children get exercise at the playground, but it is so much more than that. Taking on physical challenges can help with overall health, facing of fears and building self confidence. Kids take on all kinds of different feats on the playground that they can never (or shouldn’t 😉 ) do at home!

…Are you now picturing what I’m picturing? I can almost see my oldest hanging from the railings like they were monkey bars and my youngest trying to scale the bookshelf! I wonder how my middle daughter would create her favorite…a zipline…yikes!

It isn’t just about being active or daring though. According to Voice of Play, “When kids are playing, they are learning reflexes and movement control, developing fine and gross motor skills and increasing flexibility and balancing skills.” It is unbelievable what children are capable of when they’re playing!

Check out some of our favorite playground challenges and climb the waves at Countryside Park, test your strength at Ralston Valley or find your balance at Village East.

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#2 Emotional Release through Play

Spring 2020…to call this an emotional time seems like an understatement. As parents, we try to shield our kids from the pain and uncertainty, but they’re affected no matter how hard we try. Whether it is the absence of regular school, separation from friends, parental stress…this is an emotional time for them too.

“Free play has proven to be therapeutic for children who are emotionally distressed from traumatic situations.”

https://voiceofplay.org/benefits-of-play/#releasing

Playing allows children to express emotions in their own way. They can imagine, they can share feelings, they can release those feelings of stress and anxiety.

Themed parks (like Arvada Fire Fighters Park, Clement Park and Quail Crossing shown below) are a perfect place to let their imaginations run wild.

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#3 Group Interaction during Play

I don’t know about you, but one aspect of play that I took for granted was group interaction. I miss calling up friends to meet up at the park!

Why do our kids need that social interation? When playing in groups, children learn about leadership, cooperation and social norms. They learn to make friends quickly and create games. Have you ever timed how quickly they can go from being strangers to a small community on the playground? It’s incredible!

I love that our girls have learned about other families by literally “playing family”. They also see skills in practice like sharing and taking turns with popular equipment or waiting for a turn at the zipline. This benefit of group interaction at playgrounds is one we will not take for granted in the future!

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Thank you to IPEMA (International Play Equipment Manufacturers Association) and its Voice of Play initiative that promotes play, encourages safety, and provides certification programs for playground environments. During National Playground Safety Week, I encourage you to check out their website! There are so many benefits of play – what is your favorite?

Thank you for visiting and we are excited to soon be able to go out there and PLAY!