Indoor / Outdoor Games and Child Development

As you all know, kids engage themselves more in activities that make them active and inspire them to learn new things keenly. The exploring nature of kids makes them unstoppable to perform things differently. There are various indoor and outdoor games that help to engage children in different ways and provide them with different opportunities to learn. Almost every parent wants their kids to be physically healthy, well-rounded, independent and compassionate individuals. One of the best ways to instil these qualities in your kids was to inspire them to spend more time on indoor and outdoor games. 

 

Play, explore, study, and build

Many types of research have shown that the activities performed by the school students while playing any game lead to education in line with educational tenets of constructivism. It is proven that students who play games involve themselves in actual gaming for 25%, and 75% get engaged in some other activities related to the game being played. 

 

Why your kids should play outside?

Nowadays, most kids averagely sit seven hours in front of electronics, such as television, tablets, laptops and phones, which causes severe consequences for their health and overall well-being. Encouraging kids to give more time in the outdoor games will keep them away from technology and help in their physical well-being, and help them in other ways. 

 

Physical development benefits of outdoor play

Outdoor play offers extensive benefits for children's development both in early childhood and the school-age years. They directly impact a child's weight, physical strength and ability to fight off illness. Kids who spend more time one outdoor play typically exhibit the following attributes.

 

Enhanced motor skills

The outdoor game leaves the child with more advanced motor skills. In outdoor play, kids are more likely to have more physical movements that challenge their muscles, bones and physical endurance. They literally have more space to run, walk, jump, swing and throw. While playing outdoor, your child can play catch, crawl under bushes, and climb trees and a lot more. When they are allowed to practice their physical abilities, they strengthen their bodies and become more confident in their capabilities.

 

Lower body mass index

Studies found that, nowadays, upward of one in three kids could fall under the obesity classification. Kids who spend more time in outdoor games are less likely to be obese since they are away from television and computer screens and are so energetic. When they are allowed to play outside, kids will run, jump, climb, which helps to burn more calories than their inactive activities. The longer the child play outside, the lower their BMI. 

 

Improved muscle strength

The muscles of your child become engaged when you are pushing them in a swing. It is because, during swinging, they decide how to hold on, sit up and follow the swing's movement to make them safe. Many people consider swinging is the most common playground venture, but it helps young children promote muscle strength. Other outdoor toys like bikes and skateboards will engage and strengthen various muscle systems. Outdoor games help in enhancing the overall health of your child. 

 

Emotional development benefits

Kids who play outside tend to be emotionally more potent and process things more efficiently than children who don't get enough opportunities to play outside.

 

Develop a sense of independence

The outdoor play helps children to develop their sense of independence. Though their parents are close by, kids will feel a sense of freedom when they play outside. It is for sure that kids cannot experience this elsewhere. Kids get an opportunity to explore and take minimum risks without any fear of injury and other things. During outdoor play, kids can try ventures that they wouldn't be able to do inside. They can apply problem-solving strategies to questions like can I reach that net if I jump high enough and more questions.

 

Use of all five senses

Kids who just sit and watch TV and mobiles will use only two of their senses, such as sight and hearing. By this, they severely limit their ability to process and respond to sensory stimuli when they grow. Kids who play outdoor engage more senses by exploring the outdoors and even tasting when they catch raindrops on their tongues.

 

Social development benefits

There is not only a physical benefit in outdoor games, and also it provides a remarkable opportunity for social development in children. Some of the social development benefits are

 

Enhanced openness with parents and caregivers

By leaving your kids for outdoor games, you can make opening up and share with their caregivers. You cannot expect from them much in indoor games since they are often in smaller spaces. During outdoor play, they generally feel less overwhelmed because they are not cooped up and vying with others. The huge physical space often makes them more amenable to open up and talk about things with you.

 

Appreciation for the environment

Children will carry a love of nature into their adult years when you leave them to play outdoor during their childhood. By spending a lot of time in outdoor games, they learn to understand the environment because they have well knowledge about plants and animals that they have seen in their childhood. When they are playing outside, they would probably watch squirrels chasing each other up a tree; they have witnessed a sunset; they have caught ladybugs, climbed trees, explored parks and a lot more. When they become adults, their childhood experiences lead them to more awareness and compassion.

 

Good self-awareness

It is proven that kids who play outdoor games are more likely to develop observational and reasoning skills. Outdoor play lets them explore the world from a different perspective because it shows them how to be aware of their space and other things. 

 

Improved peer to peer relationships

When you allow them to play outside, they are more self-aware, and their awareness of others and their feelings will increase. It is also proven that children who pay outdoor are less likely to bully other children. Imagination and teamwork are often required for outdoor play that helps children have positive interactions, and they are more likely to get along with their peers and find common ground.

 

Intellectual development benefits

Spending more time on learning in an organized classroom environment is not only the best way to develop a child's intellectual abilities. But encouraging them to spend time on outdoor play is also a great way to develop their intellectual abilities because they have the following crucial advantages.

 

Enhance communication skills

When kids play outdoor, they have many chances to coincide with other children and develop friendships with them. By this, kids can improve their required skills to play successfully with many different children. Playing and combining with other kids is itself a good way to improve communication skills, but it is more likely to be effective when they play outdoors.

 

Aid with brain development

In outdoor play, kids create new games, enjoy and explore the world around them and sense feelings of freedom. Children's also promote their organizational skills and decision-making skills to design games, solve problems and implement their ideas and solutions. Kids also learn more about the importance of creating and following rules.

 

Benefits of indoor play areas

As of now, you might know the benefit of being outdoors and outdoor activities. Being outdoor is great, but what about those days when the weather is just a little extremely much to bear? During the winter, the indoor play seems like a very appealing option, but is there any benefit in playing indoor games? Of course, there are!

 

Indoor play areas encourage creativity

When kids bond and interact with other children, they are more likely to face situations and challenges. They tend to be more expressive with each other, which also facilitates them learning from each other. In an indoor play area, kids will have the liberty to travel and improve their creativity in an unharmed and safe environment. This interaction will help them in their language development, and it creates a space where they can share their ideas and express their feelings. Your kids will learn how to socialize and start to understand particular social behaviours. The indoor play area produces a secure space for them to try and error many things.

 

It facilitates physical exercises

With electronics, it is easier than ever for children to stay indoors and opt for games or playtime that requires no physical activity. But implementing physical activity will keep them more active and away from those electronic devices as well. Kids who are engaged with physical activity regularly are healthier both mentally and physically. They will love and require to face tasks and hurdles head-on, which is a great attitude for indoor soft play!

 

It encourages the development of motor skills

An indoor game encourages gross and fine motor development with their interaction within a soft play area. Your kids will feel free to step, crawl, climb and jump without any fear of injury in the indoor games. It means they are more likely to have some physical movements and master the art of jumping or rolling without any fear of injury. It offers a secured space for children to practise fine motor skills like balancing and offers open space and lighting. Indoor games offer a good sensory experience for children learning movement skills.

 

Indoor play offers a new experience to children

Certain indoor ventures like role play, drawing and storytelling offer them a handful of new skills which help them to handle certain situations. The experience that they obtained from these ventures will encourage them to develop their social life skills and help the kids to grow into confident individuals.

The new learning toys and surroundings will become more experimenting, and they love to use new toys. The new toys will make the kids busy, and they love them. Even you might notice that you bought some new toys for your kids, at least for the whole day, they will carry that new toy along with them wherever they go. They prefer to play with new toys. Also, prefer to get toys with new inbuilt features as they are always present in children's wish lists.

 

Indoor play provides a safe and secured environment

As you all know that an outdoor activity means more to sports and physical activities, but it often includes wounds, dust, pollution, and strangers. Even there are some certain situations to which our kids can become a victim. You cannot control things that kids watch or happen around them. Even when they watch something on smartphones, there may be pop-up ads and posters with inappropriate images that are not accepted in kids' play toys. So parents need to take of it very carefully when they leave their kids both outdoor and as well as indoor. But when compared to outdoor indoor activities, it is quite safe but ensures it involves some physical activities.

 

Heath benefits of indoor activities

Probably you might be shocked by hearing the health benefits of indoor activities because there is a myth around the health and indoor games all around the corner. But the fact is, careful in this matter both in outdoor and as well as indoor since it is always about laziness. But with interesting activities and games, kids become more active. Indoor games can be listed under two categories as indoor games with the physical flow and without physical action.

Indoor games with physical movement help them to be active and to have strong muscles. Some activities like Ping-Pong and tennis helps to improve hand-eye coordination. Indoor games without physical actions like chess, carom, and other games for kids help to promote creativity and brainpower. 

 

Wrapping it up

Finally, both have their good and bad on their side. It is recommended that not just to stop them either indoor or outdoor games. Let your child to experience both the games since it is all about learning new things and gaining experience. Both indoor and outdoor games help in child development in various aspects as they let them enjoy them both.