Article Link: http://exchangepress.com/article/every-playground-every-child-inclusive-playground-design/5021860/
To me, nothing can match the sound of kids playing. Belly laughs and shrieks of joy are music to my ears. But fewer and fewer children are playing together outdoors. All children aren’t getting enough outdoor play, and many children with differing abilities aren’t getting any outdoor play at all.Outdoor play should be available to everyone. From infancy to adulthood, play is vital to physical fitness, cognitive health, and emotional well-being. Play is essential for developing a sense of equality, connectedness, and concern for others. With benefits to every aspect of wellness, play has the power to enhance the quality of life for all of us.
Outdoor play areas are places where children can exercise their bodies and imaginations, solve problems, challenge their limits, and build social skills by interacting with others. Research shows us that playing early in life can help kids deal with others and build stable relationships. This helps them become more competent over time and have fewer problems than children who don’t cultivate those relationships.
In Free to Learn, developmental psychologist Peter Gray (2013) says that when children are free to “do their own thing” through play, they’ll not only learn all they need to know, but they’ll ...