For years, playgrounds have been praised as an excellent way for your children to get the healthy and fun exercise their developing bodies so desperately need. And with an ever-increasing popularity of playing video games and watching TV shows, it is becoming more important than ever that children get up off the couch and engage in physical activity. To this effect, playgrounds and parks are often recognized as helping to fight the battle against childhood obesity and other health problems. However, research shows that playgrounds can also help to improve your child’s grades in school.

Dr. McCabe, an expert in physical education and children’s health, points to more than 80 brain research studies that show that the development of motor skills can help to facilitate academic learning. “The research suggests children can raise their achievement level, increase their motivation, heighten their understanding, accelerate their learning timeline, and expand their creativity through motor skills, music, and proper nutrition,” states McCabe. A properly designed and constructed playground can help to enhance your child’s learning environment.

Playgrounds not only provide your child with an opportunity for physical development, they also offer a unique environment in which your child can develop his/her creativity. Children can expand their skills, try out new ideas, and seek new challenges. They can be free to invent new games and interact with peers their own age.

Because children develop their minds through the help of movement and exploration, it is important that playgrounds offer a variety of challenges. The playground should be able to accommodate children as their skill levels change and grow. The equipment should have a variety of physical challenges for balance, climbing and other essential skills. According to brain development experts, climbing opportunities help to develop motor patterns, which in turn aid a child in reading, writing, and solving math problems. The more variety of equipment offered the more chance a child has to develop his/her skills. However, it is important that concern for safety is always emphasized first and foremost.

Playgrounds are essential to the healthy development of your child’s motor skills. Not only will children reap the physical health benefits of active play, skills essential to everyday activities and lifelong development can be strengthened on playgrounds. This, in turn, can help to better prepare your child for the academic world.

Brittany Hidahl

If you are looking for more information about playground equipment or surfacing, then feel free to visit www.Aplusplaygrounds.com or call 866-395-PLAY (7529)… Nationwide Sales and Installs.