One initial thing that attracts parents and students to a school is the campus. The first impression leaves an imprint, and if it includes a sprawling green playground, the interest doubles. As our generation is slowly drifting away from physical activities with the advent of technology and smartphones, this is also a time when parents and schools must encourage children to go to the fields. The importance of playground in school becomes imperative as it is the only way to make physical education at par with mental caliber.
Selecting a school that has a playground shows your keenness towards your child’s physical health. Here are the top reasons why having a playground in school matters:
Having good motor skills means the major muscle groups function adequately. These include the torso, arms, and legs, and activities like running, jumping, throwing, and lifting enable us to nurture them.
While motor skills develop as babies roll over and crawl as they grow, our bodies need movements as we age. A school playground helps kids nurture their spatial orientation channelized by the vestibular system. Play equipment like swings and slides develop their motor skills, build muscles in the abdominal area, and strengthen their legs.
The importance of playground in school reflects as students grow curious and grow their cognitive abilities. Outdoor, open, and empty spaces create unique challenges that make them think and react through physical movement. The process emphasizes coordination that ensures the brain acts before the body.
A playground gives children a place to solve problems and makes decisions. It also allows them to form groups to support and compete with each other. Navigating complex games like football, cricket, or simple touch-and-go requires mental and physical abilities. It requires strategic thinking and swift action that widens their mental bandwidth while strengthening their physical skills.
A playground in school opens arrays to have unstructured social interactions that eventually help them articulate themselves. It gives them a space to communicate with the likeminded to create something that interests them. For example, a student who knows a new outdoor game can discuss it with their friends and play it with them. To bring this to life, one has to explain the game, walk them through the process, and implement it. Successful completion reflects strong social and communication skills.
The importance of playground in school is deeply associated with how they nurture us emotionally. The feeling of frustration, victory, empathy, and collaborative effort are all byproducts of athletes' spirit.
While children build social skills in a playground environment, they are also bound to develop emotional skills. Interaction in a social setting brings agreements and disagreements. Younger people find it hard to navigate through those emotions and don't know how to react. This is also why a coach monitoring such circumstances has lessons to teach and help them overcome them.
Recognizing emotional development in children shows their survival mechanism to come out of it on their own. These improve problem-solving skills and finding opportunities during adversities.
Falling and hurting themselves also invokes their emotional skills. The feeling of physical pain, endurance, and asking for help are all actions that nurture us internally and externally.
Self-esteem and confidence grow every time we accomplish something. While adults can sometimes become complacent, children always look for ways to be proud of themselves. Confidence keeps growing when we do things that make us push our boundaries. Channeling this through sports boosts us both mentally and physically.
A playground creates that space for kids to try out activities that can boost their confidence. While it also brings chances of failure, it challenges them to try harder and get better every time. Children who grow up with a positive self-image don’t let them doubt themselves.
Physical activities improve blood circulation, sending more oxygen to our brains. The process keeps our hearts in check and enhances nerve connectivity. A physically active child has better memory, directly impacting their academic success. Exercising regularly helps us improve our attention span and grasp, retain, and implement information while writing for tests.
When different types of sports are introduced to students, they can explore what they like. While India is a cricket-loving country, and children inevitably get drawn towards it, there is so much more to sports than cricket. A playground lets you try basketball, football, rugby, and more. But the only way to find out what would interest your child is to walk through each of these sports.
They might like indoor sports like badminton, table tennis, and squash. To explore these, they must go through each sport type and choose the one they love most.
Making exercise a part of our routine keeps our body active and it flows into our rhythm. Growing students often stop exercising because of academic pressure but don't realize how exercise nurtures their nervous system. Making exercise non-negotiable within families and schools promotes healthier living that is never excluded or considered unimportant. Such practices must start from home and school environments to emphasize the importance of healthy living.
A school day includes going from one subject class to another. Using the playground during recess and physical education classes works like a break that students must indulge in. It can be a 15-minute break, but that keeps them active while sitting and studying the rest of the time. It acts like a breath of fresh air and helps them concentrate better for the following classes that they are to study.
The importance of a playground in school is exploring multiple ways to use the open space. It allows the school to introduce different types of sports to students. It also creates a space for regular exercise through physical education classes.
DWPS Barasat has a playground used for the annual sports day and for regular activities that nurture students physically and mentally. We also have play equipment in the playground and an indoor gym, making exercising fun and challenging. As a school that acknowledges the importance of playgrounds, we are happy to have students who want to explore their athletic prowess.
