How School Playground Equipment Encourages Active Learning

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The emphasis on academic achievement at school and access to numerous gadgets at home encourage children to spend a lot of time inside.  Children who don’t get the opportunity to play outside, miss out on many surprising health benefits and learning opportunities. School playground equipment allows children to participate in free play activities during break times.  Children learn more about themselves and the world around them during play because they are having fun.  Here is a list of how school playground equipment helps children to learn:-

Physical Development

Children naturally run everywhere and have boundless energy.  They play tag and hide & seek using the school playground equipment as a base or hiding place.  Children don’t realise that they are strengthening their upper torso, developing their fine motor skills or engaging in anaerobic exercise because they are just having fun. Children will become healthier and less prone to diseases related to a sedentary lifestyle including; diabetes, obesity, high cholesterol and heart disease.

Increases Imagination

Imaginative play manages to weave itself into every other aspect of play.  Children often run on to the school playground equipment because it is a safe haven from whoever is trying to catch them.  If you ever have the pleasure of observing children participating in imaginative play it is the most magical experience ever.  Suddenly the playground becomes a different world and school playground equipment can be a ship, island or anything that fits into the game.

Improves Social Skills

It is practically impossible for a child to practise social skills in isolation.  The playground provides the opportunity for children to learn social skills the hard way.  School playground equipment requires children to communicate with each other so that they all get a turn.  Children who do not share or push in are quickly reminded how to behave by their peers.  

Helps With Emotional Development

Emotions are a powerful force that children often find difficult to manage.  Teachers can’t protect their pupils from everything that upsets them or makes them angry, but they can help them to develop strategies to cope with difficult situations.  Tall school playground equipment provides the perfect opportunity for children to overcome the fear of heights and learn how to calm their nerves as they get older.

Increases Self Esteem

When we take risks and succeed we feel jubilant and proud of our achievements.  Children don’t often have the opportunity to set themselves challenges that are a little bit risky.  School playground equipment allows children to test the limits of their dexterity and courage without any real risk.  They can set themselves challenges that take them out of their comfort zone and feel as proud about themselves as the climbers who have conquered Everest.
In fact the benefits of school playground equipment are so vast that the list would reach from the top of one of our play towers to the floor.  If you are interested in updating your school playground equipment click here to request a catalogue. 

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