Children love to play. Whether or alone or with friends (just met or long-time), they exude an energy that we think is endless. As parents, we buy them toys to play with and enjoy their youth.
Letting our children play during their breaks or after school lets them fulfil at least 60 minutes of play that doctors recommend. And this is every day. There are also other outlets of play like indoor playgrounds, which offer a wide variety of activities and games children can have fun with, including video games.
There are many kinds of games and experts particularly took a look at video simulators that need physical activity to activate. Take Just Dance Kids, Nickelodeon Fit or the Wii games back then, such as boxing and tennis to mention a few. Called “exergaming,” these games involve children, letting them feel as if they’re the one in the game.
According to a study that focused comparison between preschool children playing during their break time with the usual games with children who played with exergames. Surprisingly, the kids who played with exergames got more physical activity and experienced an increase in motor skills and confidence.
“Regular physical activity participation plays a crucial role in preventing and curbing childhood obesity among young children,” said study leader Zan Gao of the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis via Reuters.
“Unfortunately, most preschools offer few opportunities for children to engage in structural physical activity programs and few studies have examined the effectiveness of specific physical activity interventions in this age group,” he added via an email to Reuters.
There are other areas where children can reach the hours of play they need on a daily basis. As indoor playgrounds are improving, more commercial playgrounds are offering the traditional equipment, technology used for exergaming, and even a combination of both. It’s important for children to have access to play as it will help them develop their physical, cognitive, social skills.
Communities can start their own playgrounds to establish for children and parents to meet up and have fun with each other. Interested communities can contact iREC for high-quality indoor playground equipment and installation services. Call +63 47 250 2779 / +63 047 251 3139 or email sales@irec.ph for more information.