Playgrounds Play a Vital Role in Health and Social Development

In today’s society, it is sometimes the case that neighbors that have children do not know one another.  Why is that?  Because either the children would rather be inside playing video games, or there is nowhere for children to go and congregate to go and play at.  When people do not know their neighbors, there is no sense of community.  Humans need societal interaction, especially families where there are just single parents raising children.  If you know your neighbor, they can help you out with your children, and vice versa.  Even neighbors without children can play a part in helping out neighbors who have children.

So how do you solve the problem of creating some place to have children congregate to go and play?  Does it really, in the end, help children lead happier, healthier lives?  The Livestrong.com organization discusses a report that that Shasta (California) Children and Families First Commission published which said that playgrounds helped children develop vital social skills, help their emotional development, expanded upon both their cognitive and emotional abilities and help them develop physical fitness skills.

When children are healthy, they have less of a chance of getting sick.  That is pretty basic knowlegede.  By having access to a playground, children get to go and run around, climb up the equipment, literally swing from it, all the time developing muscles, speed and endurance.  They are beginning to prepare themselves on the long road of a healthy, happy life.

It isn’t only physically that playgrounds are helping children.  They are helping them develop socially as well.  There are only so many types of equipment on any given playground.  On the playground are where children learn the concept of sharing and wating their turn to use an item of equipment.  Now it does not always turn out perfectly on the playground amongst children.  Fights are quite common.  So they also learn conflict resolution skills as well.   Sometimes an adult has to be called into referee the situation.  By seeing this, the children learn how adults diffuse conflict in a healthy manner.

An integral part of growing up is making and having long term friendships.  These friendships begin a lot of the time in young childhood.  What better of a place to make a friend than at a playground?  Here there are so many types of children to play with.   It makes it so easy for a child to make a friend(s) in a really comfortable, fun situation.

Going back to community building, with playgrounds, it is a chance for both mothers and fathers to take their children outside to playgrounds and interact with other adults while their children are playing and having fun.  There is no need to hire a babysitter, and the playgrounds themselves are free.  It gives the parents within the community a chance to interact and get to know one another and build relationships amongst themselves, thereby making an even stronger community.

Who knew that with just a swing, a slide and merry go round an entire community could benefit and change, and a child’s life could be impacted so deeply.  Yet it can, if a community can come together and put together the funds to create a playground, the entire community and its children can change for the better.

Written by:

Timmery Schear