Tag: children
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How can children learn more about their bodies through jungle gym activities
A well-known fact is that almost all kids love playing outdoor games. It’s no wonder since they can provide countless hours of joy and amusement. Children are also probably unaware of the fact, that games can have a tremendously positive impact on their physical and mental health, as well as growth and development. The majority of fun outdoor activities for kids incorporate some types of physical exercises, like playing ball, riding bikes or skates, or climbing and crawling through a jungle gym. These activities help the children develop almost all the muscles in their bodies, while also, at the same time, giving them ample opportunity to learn on their own how to effectively use those muscles. Through these activities, children can master various simple skills, such as jumping or running, as well as more complex ones, such as skipping, much faster and with greater ease.
The Importance of jungle gyms
By looking at various jungle gym configurations, one can easily notice, just how beneficial an outdoor jungle gym can be for children. Jungle gyms provide a plethora of opportunities for children to practice their physical co-ordination and increased mobility, all of which are crucial for the proper development of other motor skills.The need to move and explore
Proper childhood development is heavily dependent on the proper development of gross motor skills. Almost all children are born with vast amounts of energy, as well as an innate, primordial need to spend that energy on moving their muscles and exploring their surroundings. An outdoor jungle gym is a perfect means of satisfying that need, because it encourages the children to move, clamber, crawl, stretch and climb, in order to defeat the “obstacles” and explore their environment, While learning about nature and the world through these activities, children will also learn how to manipulate their bodies, according to their needs and desires.
Learning the body through jungle gym activities
An outdoor jungle gym allows the children to learn how to crawl through objects, climb up and down, on top of objects and over objects. They are also given an opportunity to familiarize themselves with the contours and spirals of their bodies, as well as various expanded or contracted body movements, They will learn how to properly balance up and down, and left and right. Additionally, the children will familiarize themselves with the notions of relaxation and tension, and rest and movement. By engaging in jungle gym activities, they will sharpen the skills necessary for coordinating their lower body and legs, upper body and arms, and their left and right sides of the body.
Fine-tuning of motor skills
With the help of a jungle gym, children will discover new and more complex motor skills, such as sliding, lifting and stretching, by using their bodies to interact with the gym setup. Through these interactions, children will have an endless freedom to explore their bodies and the capabilities they possess. These interactions and exercises will also enable the children to sharpen their physical and mental coordination, which is crucial in executing activities that require far more control and precision. Through fine motor co-ordination, the young ones will find it much easier to use a pair of scissors, hold a pencil or a toothbrush, or open and close screw-top containers.
Practice and repetition through fun
The best way of learning anything is through repetition and practice. Children are usually quickly bored with practice and repetition, so these must be implemented through fun and play. That way, and with the help of a jungle gym, the children will never become bored.…
