Benefits of Playing Outside
Now that the children are back in school and summer is drawing to a close, it’s tempting to pull the curtains together, turn the heating up and dig out the box of indoor toys. But, even in winter time, the benefits of playing outside for children have been shown to be far-reaching and significant.
Here are just a few reasons why playing outside can be great for our kids:
- It’s a form of exercise and physical activity, and keeping active is essential for children to stay fit and healthy.
- Kids use a different set of muscles while they’re outside – they can run more freely than they can indoors, or perhaps they’ll use their arm muscles whilst climbing.
- It allows them to explore their environment.
- They can learn about wildlife and nature, even if it’s just which plants and birds are in the garden.
- They’ll get a good dose of Vitamin D from the sunlight (yep, even in Winter).
- Children can see the world from a new perspective and experience different challenges than they do indoors.
- Having a small amount of freedom to run around outside is great for their self-confidence.
- If they’re playing with other kids outside then their social skills will also develop.
- Outside toys such as trampolines are a great form of exercise and toys like bikes, trikes and ride-ons will help kids learn to balance. They’ll also be super excited to get to practice a new skill.
- Hopefully, all that fresh air and exercise will mean a peaceful night’s sleep for everyone.
And kids of any age will reap the benefit of playing outside. If your children are very young and it’s a warm day, why not take the play-mat and toys out into the garden or to the park? And toddlers will love an outdoor game of peek-a-boo or exploring all the muddy puddles. Even taking your baby or toddler for a walk outside and pointing out the different plants, trees and things you spot along the way will engage them and allow them to see their world a little differently.
At Babi Pur we’ve got a great range of outdoor toys for kids of all ages, like these fantastic and fun Early Rider bikes. The classic design (top picture) is for younger children (2-5 years) and the Early Rider Evo (lower picture) is for slightly older children (3-6 years old).
We’ve also got some brilliant bikes in by Wishbone Design. These clever bikes grow with your child, starting off as a trike, then converting to a small bike and finally a big-kid bike!
And if your baba’s not quite old enough for a first bike yet, then we’ve also got some adorable ride-on toys like these adorable wooden ride-on toys from Plan Toys. Ethically made, Plan Toys pride themselves on the quality of their design and build, and these cute little ride-ons are no different!
So we say, make the most of the last few weeks of late-summer and head out for a good old run, ride and play outside. See you at the park!
