So much focus is placed on kids' academics that the value of play is often pushed aside or forgotten altogether. The reality is that playgrounds, and the play involved, actually contribute tremendously to student wellness. From exerting effort to build muscle and brain development to spending time in nature to improve mental health, playground design can change lives for the better. Here are just a few benefits playground design offers to boost student wellness:
Promoting Physical Activity with Diverse Equipment
The first and, perhaps, most powerful way that playground design is good for kids is also the most obvious. Physical activity is critical for children's health, and far too many kids aren't getting the movement they need. Americans across the country are eating more junk food and moving less than ever. As a result, children aren't building healthy movement habits at home, so they have to be able to count on the school.
Fortunately, many schools are installing play structures and commercial swing sets with diverse equipment. When kids from a young age can build muscles and get cardiovascular activity during playtime at school, they can develop a love for exercise. And they're using different muscles and abilities with each different piece of equipment. So they can get a full body workout while having fun during recess with their friends.
Scaling with Kids' Growth with Age Appropriate Challenges
There are few sights sadder than older kids who no longer care about playing on the playground. And it's not because kids stop loving play at the ripe old age of 10 or 11. It's because too many playgrounds and parks don't have challenging equipment for older, heavier, stronger children. So those kids end up sitting off somewhere with their friends, maybe even thinking of ways to get in trouble. Kids without a good challenge will often find risky engagements on their own.
The good news is that commercial playground equipment can meet the more mature needs of older kids. From taller structures to zip lines and from more challenging climbing walls to taller slides, play equipment doesn't have to age kids out. In fact, many schools separate the school yard by the sizes of the kids, so older kids can have a play area all to themselves. Those challenges are great for children's self-esteem and physical confidence.
Encouraging Mental Health with Natural Integration
One area often missed for a lot of kids in terms of wellness is mental health. The world is a high-pressure place right now for children. They've got to do well in school, behave in the home, try to make friends, and avoid getting bullied... or becoming a bully. It's a lot to handle, and there aren't a lot of healthy outlets for children who are struggling. Indeed, many young people with mental health problems don't even tell anyone about it. They likely don't want to bother the already stressed-out adults.
Playground design can go a long way toward improving kids' mental health, especially when the structures are set in the backdrop of nature. Many playgrounds today have a forest, jungle, or other nature theme, and they're set amidst trees, grass, and flowers, so kids really can get time in nature. And because nature has been shown to alleviate stress, it's the perfect place for kids to get a break from their daily worries.
Nurturing Creative Development with Sensory Experiences
With all the focus on academics, adults often forget to help kids maintain their sense of creativity. Four walls of the classroom, house, and other indoor spaces don't offer a lot of options for expanding the imagination. And many schools have removed art, music, and other humanities classes that help kids build creative muscles. The negative consequences of this shift away from the arts are numerous, and children's wellness is among them.
Playgrounds can be the last bastion of creativity for kids, especially as they get older. With fun themes and lots of different sensory experiences, young people can get time to use their imaginations. They might play a song on an outdoor musical instrument. Maybe they'll make up a story about a castle and a dragon. Or they might simply picture themselves flying through the air on swings or parallel bars. Whatever they do, they'll be creating, which means they're building strong minds.
Enhancing Social and Emotional Skills with Group Play Spaces
Finally, without playgrounds and time to play freely and independently, kids don't get the social time they need. Children without ample social opportunities can end up both lonely and isolated as well as bitter and angry at the world. Kids who suffer in that way may grow up without the social skills needed to find work they love and purpose in life. Social and emotional skills are much more important than many adults realize, and they're harder to learn later in life.
Playgrounds are a breeding ground for social and emotional skills. Kids have to learn to play together, collaborate, make decisions without adult intervention, and deal with conflict. They also learn to compromise, negotiate, and settle disputes. Great playgrounds are designed to bring kids together, whether that means structures that accommodate differing abilities or benches and tables in the shade. Children with those safe spaces to socialize have a good chance of growing up well-adjusted.
In the end, the playground is a much more valuable tool for student wellness than many people realize. Adults from all backgrounds tend to think of play as merely leisure time for kids, a break from the school work or extracurriculars they do. But free play on well-designed playgrounds is actually an integral part of kids' development. They're learning to be the functioning, empathetic, strong adults they'll turn into someday.
