A child’s imagination is a marvelous thing. What adults see as boxes, sticks, and streets, a child imagines ancient, regal castles, magical swords and rough, terrifying oceans that they must navigate to get home. This is vital for a child to cultivate an imagination about their play and help them develop an understanding that the world around them is much larger than it might at first appear.
Why Is Playing Outside So Great?
Giving children, especially those of elementary and kindergarten age, the opportunity to play outside is not just a chance for you to get some rest and let the house quiet down for an hour or two. At these ages, playing outside gives children the freedom to run and jump around and learn about nature and its surroundings as they encounter new and unfamiliar things that they would not find cooped up inside.
In addition to this, it can also prove highly beneficial for their mental and physical wellbeing. Getting enough fresh air is crucial for childhood development and is especially vital for younger children as their bodies and minds are still forming every day. This includes muscle strength as they explore trees, swing and run around. Too young for conventional exercise, outdoor play helps create healthy, happy children.
Experiencing the outside world can also help to develop the child’s confidence by interacting with others, which helps to improve their social skills as they cooperate with peers. Making friends through play is crucial to a child’s development and also contributes to them crafting their imagination as they are introduced to new and exciting ideas.
Benefits of a Natural Environment
Encouraging children to play in an environment that is as close to a natural one as possible can prove to be undeniably useful in helping to develop an appreciation for nature. By interacting with trees, grass, sand, stone and other natural elements, children will see them as a necessary part of the planet that requires respect.
This respect will follow them through life and motivate them to adhere to sustainable principles that will only benefit the planet. A child that associates enjoyment with the natural environment will motivate them to explore nature and care for it as they grow older.
Creating a Natural Environment with a Modern Playground
Even if your school or educational institution isn’t anywhere near an actual piece of woodland or natural environment, you can still introduce students and children to an outdoor environment through the modern playground. Finding playground accessories that imitate natural elements such as trees, water and sand can have similar effects on developing a child’s imagination as the real thing.
Of course, if there is an existing environment that can be adapted using a modern playground, this is also highly effective in cultivating a natural environment. Whatever the circumstances, giving children the ability to experience aspects of nature that would not be found in the classroom, at home or in traditional playgrounds is crucial to inspiring their imagination through the possibilities of the natural environment.
Benefits of the Modern Playground
The modern playground has been designed with the development of the child in mind. Gone are the days of having only ordinary swing sets, climbing frames and slides that are found in traditional, urbanistic playgrounds. Instead, the modern playground incorporates elements from all around us to help the child play, enjoy themselves and learn all at the same time.
Through the interactive nature of the modern playground, children learn through experiences. Instead of being dictated to out of a book, sitting with the same old toys day in and day out, they have the chance to learn through physical interaction with different elements. They can touch tree bark, they can scoop and hold water with their hands, and they can ball up chunks of mud to fling across the playground.
This interactive aspect of learning can help all students but is particularly helpful with those who are more visual learners or ones who have trouble concentrating in a traditional classroom setting. By allowing them to engage with what they are learning, they will benefit more from it and become more successful in their educational endeavors.
Running Wild
The child’s imagination is a precious and wonderful thing that will only be further inspired by experiencing as much about the world as possible. Encouraging children to get outside and enjoy themselves in the modern playground with all of its natural accessories is the perfect solution to cultivating an imagination that can keep them occupied and entertained for hours.
