Children of all ages love going to their favorite park to play on the playground. But did you know the park can help improve your child’s development as they grow? Here are the developmental benefits of playgrounds.

Playing on the Swings

We remember playing on the swings as kids and trying to be the one who jumps the highest. However, swings aren’t just something that kids love. They actually boost the development of your child. As your child swings, their growth begins to kick in. With their fine motor skills, they will grip the swing chains, learning how tight or loose they should be hanging on. Then, they’ll exercise their gross motor skills by pumping their legs, causing the swing to go higher. Finally, swinging boosts coordination, which is simply putting all skills together, allowing the child to swing with ease and know what is comfortable for them. Your child will also learn how direction and speed work.

Climbing for More Than Fun

Playtime is more than having your child run around until it’s time to go home. Another of the developmental benefits of playgrounds is that your child will learn to be aware of their body’s direction, height, and movements. Climbing helps children develop problem-solving skills and hypothesize the next event. Even when it comes to plastic playground borders, your child will develop a better idea of what to do when approaching that border, including how to get around or over it.

Trying Out the Overhead Equipment

Using overhead equipment like monkey bars, a jungle gym’s ladder, and other equipment that involves hanging from the ground will develop a child’s motor planning skills. With these skills, they’ll learn how to coordinate their movements and practice their balance. When a child comes to a crossroads on the bars, they will know how far away a bar is and what they should do next.

Enjoying Free Play

Free play was the best part of growing up, and it’s fun to watch your kids develop as they have free play. Free play is essentially organized games or kids running around for fun. When free playing, kids will learn how to be creative and develop an understanding of how to react to body language, tone of voice, and social cues.

Ball Games Teach Us a Lot

We remember playing with balls. When your child plays with one, they’ll learn how to hold a ball and not let go, kick it, and even throw it. Playing ball games builds your child’s coordination skills and critical thinking skills, like decision-making and strategizing.

Your child’s development starts on the playground, so don’t go too long without taking them to the park to further develop their skills. Even though children grow up fast, letting them explore the park will have a positive effect on them.