Kangaroo Kids encourages the children and teachers to engage in outdoor play every day. Outdoor play helps children enhance their motor skills by running, leaping, jumping, climbing and rolling. Children can also practice manipulative skills such as pushing a swing, pulling a wagon, and lifting and carrying movable objects.
It today’s busy, screen focused world children need outside play more than ever. Research tells us obesity, which has doubled in the last decade is a leading cause of heart disease. Risk factors like hypertension and arteriosclerosis are showing up as early as at age 5. Outdoor play burns calories.
Since children are naturally curious, they can learn many lessons through outdoor play and related activities. What child doesn’t like to play in the snow or dirt, make snow balls, mud pies, or check out the bugs and worms? Aside from this, other educational aspects of outdoor play might include Science lessons as parents and teachers discuss the different seasons, weather patterns, or create gardens. In the domain of Art Children can draw or paint what they see outside. They can use food color and water to spray the snow different colors. It is a time for children to express themselves and use their imagination. Outdoor time is a good time to enhance reading and language develop as children learn the rules of games and communicate to each other. There is nothing more enjoyable than reading a book on a blanket in the fresh air and then acting out the story!
Companies today are looking for people that are team players. Outdoor time is a time for children to work as a team whether they are building a snowman or playing a game of soccer. The children learn to communicate, adapt, negotiate, make decisions and enjoy the company of others.
At Kangaroo Kids the Prekindergarten teacher includes geography and aviation studies in their outdoor experiences as students track the plane routes of their parents when they are traveling for business.
For more information on the benefits of outdoor and things to do for outside play visit: http://www.earlychildhoodnews.com/earlychildhood/article_view.aspx?ArticleID=275.
Dig out those snow suits and boots and play outside! You children will always remember the experiences. Encourage your schools to take children outside every day. Your children will enjoy lifelong benefits.
For more information about Kangaroo Kids programs call 908-231-7800 to schedule a tour.