Outdoor Playgrounds Are The Best Classrooms
Author: Austin Stanfel
Just think about it, and imagine having recess periods today. Think of a period in the day when your boss and professors might ask you to pause your work temporarily and unwind in a playground for at least 30 minutes. It would indeed be one of the happiest moments of that day.
Many people think that recess periods should be eradicated or that they should only be limited to 20 minutes. However, they do not realize that playgrounds are one of the best classrooms in the world. Even though technically speaking, children are not in a classroom when outdoors, but being outdoors still teaches them several essential things.
When we were children, we were usually instructed and advised on several acts that included general ideas such as ‘not sliding fast’ or not to roll on the grass. These were things that we learned on sunny and straightforward bright days.
For most of the children, playgrounds are arenas where they can imagine all types of crazy adventures with their friends. Deep inside, they know that these adventures are just a product of their imagination. However, that is the fun part. Children love to test the extent of their creativity; as a result of this, everything comes to life.
is that it pushes the boundaries of imagination. Children can either roleplay as scientists, Greek gods, superheroes, or princesses. In other words, they can forget who they are and all their everyday stresses and be someone different. This provides them with a great run away from daily homework stress.
Furthermore, when children run around a playground to catch each other, they learn balance and muscle coordination. Because of this, their physical capabilities increase, and they turn out to be healthy individuals. Similarly, when children engage with other children during a game, it helps them in developing meaningful social connections.
Consequently, their self-image and self-confidence improve. These are the things that they will remember forever and will apply in all phases of their lives.
They say that children can and may forget the things that they learn in classrooms, but they never forget what they learn in a playground. This is because playgrounds play a significant role in shaping up the personality of children.
Furthermore, it is the only type of ‘learning’ that isn’t boring for children. Otherwise, it is not ideal for children to get bored in the classroom. So make sure that your children have ample opportunities to play out in the playground. At the same time, schools should also focus on providing such opportunities to children via ample playtime outdoor periods. In this regard, a safe and inclusive playground with enough recess time could help a lot