It is a fact that playtime and children make for an ideal combination.

Children get immense enjoyment from exploring their world through their developing senses and will often run from place to place, undertaking a wide range of games and activities with ceaseless energy.

Put simply, playing is the perfect way for any child to learn more about the world and how their bodies work.

Playtime builds coordination, and the regular physical activity that it can produce is a perfect way to improve a young child’s concentration levels when it comes to early learning activities and the beginnings of their formal education.

All well-run schools and nurseries recognise this and will install a wide range of play equipment for their young students to enjoy.

In this article, three reasons why playground equipment is so important for a child’s development will be explored in detail.

Health and Fitness

One of the most vital reasons for encouraging children to enjoy using playground equipment is that it can be a perfect way to improve their health and general fitness.

For example, it is recommended that toddlers should aim to get at least thirty minutes of adult-led physical activity and sixty minutes of active free play every day.

Using a range of playground equipment that is available from suppliers like huckplay.co.uk, such as slides, swings and climbing frames, helps to build physical strength, endurance and coordination.

This is of paramount importance to any child’s development as it helps to ensure that their bones and muscles develop correctly, and their cardiovascular fitness is increased.

In addition, by being active in the early stages of development, this routine is more likely to be continued into the child’s teens and adulthood. In short, using playground equipment from an early age can help to instil the benefits of exercise in keeping fit and healthy across a person’s lifetime.  

Building teamwork

Many playgrounds in schools and nurseries will contain play facilities that encourage teamwork.

This can be as simple as marking out a small football pitch on turfed areas outdoors and adding some goal areas.

Children love to play together, and teamwork is a vital skill that needs to be developed throughout a person’s life, especially when a person enters the world of work and is expected to work effectively in a small group or team.

Teamwork can also help to improve a child’s communication skills (for example, shouting out instructions to a friend when playing team sports) and can build confidence and self-awareness.

Improved sleep

As any parent knows, children who benefit from regular and good-quality sleep are likely to be happier and more engaged the next day.

The importance of sleep cannot be underestimated in a child’s development as it promotes concentration and focus,which are vital traits for education.

Children who have access to playground equipment on a regular basis will expend suitable levels of energy throughout the day, which will help them to rest and sleep more easily when the evening comes.

Put simply, rest and exercise go together perfectly, as physical activity promotes subsequent high-quality rest, which in turn leads to more energy the next day.

The playground is the perfect environment to ensure that physical exercise takes place that encourages restful sleep.