All children love to play.
It provides hours of amusement and enjoyment, and perhaps quite unbeknown to them, play also has a tremendously positive role in their mental and physical health and development.
Motor play involves physical exercise, such as bike riding, playing ball or climbing on a jungle gym.
This kind of play develops the large muscles of the body, while giving children the opportunity to learn how to use these muscles effectively, which is important for mastering activities such as walking and jumping, as well as more complex activities like skipping.
A look at the various configurations of jungle gyms that are available - see http://www.
leosa.
co.
za for a comprehensive overview - reveals the many opportunities a jungle gym provides for children to learn increased mobility and greater physical co-ordination, which are necessary for the development of an assortment of skills.
Gross motor development is an important part of childhood development.
Fortunately, children are born with a great deal of energy and an innate need to move their large muscles.
A jungle gym provides an outlet for this desire to move, stretch, climb and clamber over things, while at the same time they learn to listen to their bodies.
A jungle gym creates the opportunity for children to learn how to climb up and down, to climb through objects, over objects and on top of objects.
Children learn how to make use of the different spirals of the body, in other words, movements that are contracted (rotated inwards) or expanded (outward rotation).
For example, curling the fingers, arms or legs towards or away from the body, around a jungle gym cross piece or away from it.
They learn to balance left and right, up and down, movement and rest, tension and relaxation.
In the process, they become skilled at coordinating the left and the right side of the body, as well as the legs and the lower body and the arms and the upper body.
Jungle gyms are also safe learning spaces for children to acquire a good sense of balance.
Many of the jungle gym activities involve balance and provide an opportunity for children to master the necessary skills to manage their centre of gravity better.
A good balance is essential for many other tasks as they grow up, for example, riding a bicycle or doing gymnastics.
By frequently playing on a jungle gym, children's movements become more skilful and graceful.
They learn to manage the force of gravity and how to use their bodies in a space that has certain limitations and obstacles.
As they develop these skills, they gain confidence and learn to trust their bodies, as well as when not to push too far and when to push a little bit further.
The more children learn how to use their bodies, the further they explore what it is capable of doing - climbing, crawling, stretching, lifting, sliding and so much more! On a jungle gym, children experience the freedom to investigate all the movements their bodies can offer them and do so through fun play and adventure.
All this exercise also sharpens mental and physical coordination, so that children are able to execute more precise and controlled activities.
Fine motor co-ordination is necessary to hold a pen, pencil or paintbrush, open screw-top containers, use a pair of scissors and other precision work.
As playing on a jungle gym helps children learn more muscle control and coordination, and assists them in becoming confident of their body in space and their management of it, their finger control becomes more refined.
The exercise they get while playing on a jungle gym also strengthens their bodies for good bone, muscle and lung development.
With stronger bodies, children are physically more able to take care of themselves.
This builds self-confidence, which is necessary for children to try new things and to succeed in their social interaction.
Refining gross motor skills can only be achieved through practice and repetition, but this will never become boring on a jungle gym! Playing on a jungle gym makes learning and mastering many important skills fun.
Encourage your children to play on a jungle gym to build their health, confidence and coordination.
Physically strong children are most often very happy, healthy and sure of themselves.
It provides hours of amusement and enjoyment, and perhaps quite unbeknown to them, play also has a tremendously positive role in their mental and physical health and development.
Motor play involves physical exercise, such as bike riding, playing ball or climbing on a jungle gym.
This kind of play develops the large muscles of the body, while giving children the opportunity to learn how to use these muscles effectively, which is important for mastering activities such as walking and jumping, as well as more complex activities like skipping.
A look at the various configurations of jungle gyms that are available - see http://www.
leosa.
co.
za for a comprehensive overview - reveals the many opportunities a jungle gym provides for children to learn increased mobility and greater physical co-ordination, which are necessary for the development of an assortment of skills.
Gross motor development is an important part of childhood development.
Fortunately, children are born with a great deal of energy and an innate need to move their large muscles.
A jungle gym provides an outlet for this desire to move, stretch, climb and clamber over things, while at the same time they learn to listen to their bodies.
A jungle gym creates the opportunity for children to learn how to climb up and down, to climb through objects, over objects and on top of objects.
Children learn how to make use of the different spirals of the body, in other words, movements that are contracted (rotated inwards) or expanded (outward rotation).
For example, curling the fingers, arms or legs towards or away from the body, around a jungle gym cross piece or away from it.
They learn to balance left and right, up and down, movement and rest, tension and relaxation.
In the process, they become skilled at coordinating the left and the right side of the body, as well as the legs and the lower body and the arms and the upper body.
Jungle gyms are also safe learning spaces for children to acquire a good sense of balance.
Many of the jungle gym activities involve balance and provide an opportunity for children to master the necessary skills to manage their centre of gravity better.
A good balance is essential for many other tasks as they grow up, for example, riding a bicycle or doing gymnastics.
By frequently playing on a jungle gym, children's movements become more skilful and graceful.
They learn to manage the force of gravity and how to use their bodies in a space that has certain limitations and obstacles.
As they develop these skills, they gain confidence and learn to trust their bodies, as well as when not to push too far and when to push a little bit further.
The more children learn how to use their bodies, the further they explore what it is capable of doing - climbing, crawling, stretching, lifting, sliding and so much more! On a jungle gym, children experience the freedom to investigate all the movements their bodies can offer them and do so through fun play and adventure.
All this exercise also sharpens mental and physical coordination, so that children are able to execute more precise and controlled activities.
Fine motor co-ordination is necessary to hold a pen, pencil or paintbrush, open screw-top containers, use a pair of scissors and other precision work.
As playing on a jungle gym helps children learn more muscle control and coordination, and assists them in becoming confident of their body in space and their management of it, their finger control becomes more refined.
The exercise they get while playing on a jungle gym also strengthens their bodies for good bone, muscle and lung development.
With stronger bodies, children are physically more able to take care of themselves.
This builds self-confidence, which is necessary for children to try new things and to succeed in their social interaction.
Refining gross motor skills can only be achieved through practice and repetition, but this will never become boring on a jungle gym! Playing on a jungle gym makes learning and mastering many important skills fun.
Encourage your children to play on a jungle gym to build their health, confidence and coordination.
Physically strong children are most often very happy, healthy and sure of themselves.
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