Fun games indoor and outdoor: benefits to kid's health, learning and development

fun games outdoor games board games benefits kids

By Fatima Virrey , Parent Herald Jul 05, 09:08 pm

Photo: (Photo : Photo by Lukas from Pexels)

Sometimes, parents might worry that their children spend too much screen time. Although screen time might seem to lessen the hassle of keeping kids busy, parents might be missing out on a lot of other benefits that fun games can bring to children.

Fun games may include outdoor games or board games.

Studies have shown that fun games can bring a lot of benefits to children's health, learning, and development.

Fun Games For Kids While Outdoor

If kids are into inviting their friends over and playing games, here are some fun games outdoor that they would enjoy:

Freeze Tag
Relay Races
Frisbee
Capture the Flag
Scavenger Hunt
Yard Twister
Rainbow Tag
Hide and Seek
Hopscotch

Playing outdoor games allow children to become active. That is one of the best benefits of playing outside. The activities outdoor also help in burning calories and extra energy. Also, when they run around chasing each other, their bones develop to be stronger. At the same time, as kids spend more time outside, they naturally absorb Vitamin D.

Aside from this, fun outdoor games can also help in developing the learning abilities of children. They are also able to understand that learning does not always have to be inside the classroom.

Creativity is also honed while playing outdoor games. The more that children see different things around them, the more their creativity is stimulated.

Because kids play with other kids when they are outside, they are also able to develop their social skills. As they play around, they learn how to interact with other children, without the intervention of their parents.

When kids are playing fun games, it also leads to learning independence. While having fun, they learn to take turns, pick themselves up when something happens, and a lot more. Kids become self-reliant and independent.

Fun Games For Kids While Indoor (Board Games)

If parents cannot bring their kids outside to play, there are a lot of alternatives that can be played indoor. Most of these may include board games like:

Scrabble
Chinese Checkers
Chess
Chutes and Ladders
Twister
Monopoly
Operation
Connect 4

Although these fun games do not allow kids to be as active as playing outdoor games, there still are a lot of benefits when playing indoor games.

As kids play fun games like Twister or Monopoly, it entails helping them to learn early. Since board games have rules that they need to follow while sitting, it also teaches children how to have patience and follow rules.

Language skills are also developed at an early age through board games. According to The Scholastic, some games can help children who have difficulty in reading comprehension while still having fun.

Some children find it difficult to focus. Board games help address this. That is if parents will make sure that their children will finish playing a round of games before they give up on it.

Another benefit of fun games like board games is that they teach children that losing is okay.