The importance of playing at the park for development

It may be colder outside but it’s wonderful that we’re able to get back out in the community again, and that means we can let our kids get back to the important business of outdoor play – albeit with a few social distancing and extra hygiene checks and rules in place.

Play is essential for all children’s development and a well-designed play area can help promote physical activity, excitement, social skills development and behavioural changes, while promoting multi-sensory engagement and positive behaviour.

SWINGS Children with sensory issues will find both their vestibular and proprioceptive systems challenged. There are a number of different types of swings available that can provide different benefits including spatial perception and trunk control.

SANDPITS Sandpits allow children to enjoy a variety of sensory experiences – tactile, vestibular, visual, and proprioceptive. While they can be challenging for children with sensory issues, your child’s OT should have some great suggestions on how to get your child into the sandpit and playing in the sand. Sandpits can offer some fantastic social and communication opportunities.

SLIDES

Slides provide an opportunity for children to experience vestibular stimulation as they move down the slide. Children learn to organise themselves at the top of the slide in order to slide down while sitting or lying on their stomachs, and also problem solve to work out ways to slow down if they feel they are going too fast.

CLIMBING NETS Climbing nets provide opportunities to develop upper and lower body strength as well as problem solving and motor planning skills.

ROCK WALLS

Rock walls are beneficial for the development of grip and arm strength as well as leg strength. Children are also required to plan and organise their bodies to successfully reach the top of the wall.

RINGS

Rings give children the opportunity to co-ordinate their bodies and develop upper body strength

MANAGE THE DIFFERENT SURFACES Many local parks have bark around the play equipment and then grass in the seating areas. These different surfaces are great for new walkers and for learning balance and dexterity. If you’re lucky enough to visit a beachside park, then walking onto the soft sand at the beach, then the hard, wet sand at the edge of the water and then finally the sloshy sand in the water is a great workout for legs.

CLIMB A TREE Climbing, pulling up, using arm strength and balance. Tree climbing has it all. It is also daring enough to distract kids who may not like the physical aspect of physio from the hard work their body is doing.

SOCIAL SKILLS DEVELOPMENT Along with the physical benefits outlined above. Playgrounds are also import spaces for children to develop social skills and in some ways, they are a classroom for life. Just some of the skills that children learn in the playground, or issues that they will encounter include: • Initiating, continuing and ending interactions with other children and learning how to be included in pre-existing groups of children. • Learning how to lose games and not always get their own way – not all children are going to want to play the same way or do the same things together. • Turn-taking and patience are also important skills that get lots of chances to be practiced at the park! • Children also get the opportunity to learn to listen to their own bodies – recognising when they’re thirsty and tired, and may need a break, or when they need to stop having fun to go the toilet. • Transitions get lots of practice at the park too – moving between different pieces of equipment for example and then of course, there’s the allimportant listening to mum or dad when they say it’s time to go!