Jungle Gym Or Brain Gym? - child development and physical activity

Parks & Recreation, June, 2000 by Teresa B. Hendy

PLAYGROUNDS CAN IMPROVE ACADEMIC READINESS!

In the sedentary.com world in which we live, playgrounds offer children opportunities to develop physically mentally, and socially, improving academic readiness as well as the overall health of the child.

Throughout the United States, health and physical education professionals agree that school-age children today are less physically active than in previous generations. As a society, we are leading our children--our future--to a less active, more sedentary life. In school, their physical education, music, and art time is being cut to squeeze in an extra "academic" class--a typical attempt of a school to improve their student body's test scores. The irony is that the test scores are not improving. In fact, there is little change from the days when children had gym class and then would run home to spend the evening playing outside, instead of sitting in front of a television, computer, or video game screen. Now, when these kids get a little antsy in class, we label them with a disorder and try to fix them with pills when in reality we don't look at the underlying problem--a lack of physical activity or play in their lives. Movement is instinctive. It is natural.

Dr. Mary McCabe, a leading expert in physical education and health of young children cites more than 80 brain research studies that suggest that the development of motor skills (movement) helps to facilitate academic readiness and learning. "The research suggests children can raise their achievement level, increase their motivation, heighten their understanding, accelerate their learning timeline, and expand their creativity through motor skills, music, and proper nutrition," says McCabe. A well-developed playground environment in a park or school setting can greatly enhance a child's overall physical and mental development, making playgrounds more than just fun.

The Importance of Movement

Play is an instinctive form of movement. An exciting outdoor space provides an opportunity for children to explore the environment at their own individual levels of development. A creative play experience enables children to test their skills, try new ideas, and seek challenges that cannot be duplicated in other environments. This type of creative free movement is vitally important to the development of the total child. All too often the perception of play is that it must be organized, limited to athletic challenges, or centered on a single monolithic fixed structure. An opportunity for a variety of experiences must be provided within the playground environment for children to meet their full physical and mental capabilities.

These movement experiences should be developmentally appropriate, allowing the child to develop skills at graduated levels of challenge. As humans, we develop physical and mental skills in sequence, which begin long before birth. When a baby moves in the womb, he/she is not just changing positions because he/she is uncomfortable. The baby is actually beginning to develop movement patterns. Turning or spinning helps to develop the inner ear, which corresponds to our sense of balance and depth perception. It also relates to how we see things, our ability to track objects, and eventually our ability to read. Even as aging adults, this kind of stimulation is needed to maintain a high quality of life.

But age is not always an accurate indicator of physical development. Because children learn sequentially, they should be introduced to various levels of physical challenge so that they can learn in sequence as their skills develop. Playgrounds should be designed accordingly. A playground should offer an area for running, ball playing, and bike riding, as well as traditional playground apparatus, that is developmentally appropriate for the age of the intended user.

Developing Movement Through Play

Children have a natural need to develop balance and climbing skills, which are the foundation for continued physical and mental development, and will progress naturally from one level to the next when given the opportunity. A child with a poor sense of balance will not only have great difficulty mastering other physical skills, such as climbing, jumping, and running, but also will often have trouble learning in school. There are many ways to provide balance within a play environment. A wide timber border surrounding a playground area is often used as a balance beam by children of all ages. Elements such as stepping-stones, boulders, and logs provide inexpensive opportunities for balance as well as interaction with the natural environment. For a young child, a wide beam, a low bench, and an inclined surface, such as a ramp, provides some of the least challenging forms of balance.

As the sense of balance develops, children become comfortable on a narrow edge such as a regular balance beam. Changing the shape and the elevation of the beam increases the challenge. Stepping pods or columns that enable a child to balance on one object and step onto another object not only develop balance but depth perception as well. To increase the level of challenge, add movement such as a chain walkway or suspended bridge. Games such as hopscotch also provide opportunities to develop not only balance but also social skills. Take care to include a variety of balancing opportunities in each play environment for both the preschool and school-age child.