Putting Nature Back in Playgrounds
This week’s news items all focus on how to be healthier in our everyday lives, both for ourselves and our patients. We’ll start off with a look at making kids more physically active. How do we encourage them to play and be more physically active? We want them to play more frequently and play longer and more vigorously.
Natural Landscapes for Healthier Play
One researcher looked at that there are different types of playgrounds out there and wondered what type of playground will encourage children to play for longer periods of time? They found that playgrounds that had been set up and inspired by natural landscapes were actually better at giving children opportunities to play. The natural style playground encouraged them to show more imagination and it was found that they actually played longer and used more vigorous activities when playing.
Natural landscapes playgrounds include areas with tree stumps to jump from stump to stump, bridges over streams, and rocks or rock climbing areas. The research did not include structured metal and wood fabricated jungle gyms but something that has a anymore landscaped approach in a more outdoorsy approach.
Reducing Child Obesity
I think that this is something that we should pay attention to. With the focus on reducing child obesity rates, we are always looking for ways to get kids more active and encouraging play outside. We do not want them to always sit down in front of the game console, TV or the computer for the entirety of their day when they’re not at school. If you have a playground that catches their interest and encourages them to go outside and play it enables them to be more imaginative have more fun.
This is an important way for us to start designing playgrounds in and around our communities. This article comes from MedicalNewsToday.com and I urge you to check out the link in the shownotes and follow-up on this. Maybe there’s a way you can improve playgrounds in your community and help kids be healthier.
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Follow up on the link for this news item and all of the additional news and resource links in the show notes for this week’s episode — Nurse Review of Bronchodilators and Episode 215.
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