4 Benefits You Must Know About Outdoor Play For Toddlers
Toddlers these days spend at least seven hours per day in front of technological devices such as tablets, laptops, and phones instead of engaging in active, outside play. Unfortunately, this could lead to serious repercussions for their overall health and well-being.
You probably already know that children spend more time watching their favourite cartoon characters on television than playing with outdoor baby toys outside. Like most parents, you too would want the best for their children: physically fit, well-rounded, self-reliant, and understanding.
But did you know that the most excellent approach to teaching your children these values is to encourage them to play with outdoor baby toys on your front porch or yard? This article will explain how.
Improves Motor Skills
For toddlers, playing outdoors hones their motor skills. These include coordination, balance, and agility. These are needed for everyday activities like standing, jogging, climbing stairs, jogging, swimming. Essentially, such activities engage the body’s muscles in the arms, legs, and chest.
Who knows if letting your kids run around the yard with toys would make them the next Usain Bolt? You only have to let them try.
Improves Muscle Strength
Letting your toddler play with slides and enjoy the momentum that comes with enjoying the trampoline helps improve their muscle strength. Muscle strength is the total force a person can produce for a short time. For toddlers, playing outside with outdoor baby toys amounts to improve their muscle strength. They would be able to practice, for example, throwing and catching a ball. They would know how to maximise their strength for a short amount of time.
Improves Relationships with Peers
Letting your toddler play outside helps them form empathy and sympathy toward their peers because they get to understand not only other people’s emotions but also themselves. Besides, when kids play outside, they engage with other children and form teamwork to solve their imaginary ordeals through toys.
There may still be instances when you see them argue with other kids who get to play with the slide first, but that is completely natural. However, children who play outside regularly are more inclined to be kind to their peers and establish commonality. If they learn empathy at a young age, they will do the same during their adult stage in life.
Develops the Feeling of Independence
As parents, you are worried about your kid’s welfare, and that is alright. But when you let your kids play outside, you encourage them to have freedom, letting them have a feeling of independence. By allowing them to learn how important independence is, you make them stand by their feet when problems arise and face these issues head-on instead of running to you for help. What better feeling than to see your child explore and learn things on their own?
Playing outdoors is not only a fun activity for toddlers. It is also beneficial for their welfare. These benefits are crucial for them and as they grow into adolescence and up to their adulthood. These aspects are essential for their entire being. So now is the perfect moment to cheer them on to spend their time outdoors instead of burying their eyes into the screen of their gadgets. But for you to completely have their attention, you must always make playing fun and enjoyable.