Visit any school that’s been built in the last decade or so, and you may notice a big difference in the playgrounds. The same goes for any playgrounds that have been renovated in recent years. Modern recess for school children now offers kids an opportunity to engage with sensory equipment, musical instruments, and themed structures, among other innovations. These changes have created space for kids to learn in entirely new ways, all of them beneficial. Here’s how modern playgrounds are shaping the future of learning in schools:
They Provide an Energy Release
Few things are sadder in a school yard than watching the playground equipment go unused. Yet it happens. Kids sit around on benches, play in the field, or even opt to run the track rather than play on the structures. This is likely because the equipment doesn’t engage them in ways that encourage them to climb, jump, and swing. The end result, of course, is that the kids don’t get all the stimulation they need to return to class calm and ready to learn.
Modern playgrounds are changing this. With newer equipment, you’ll notice children are eager to take on challenges that push them to climb higher, swing faster, and race across steps and bars. This equipment is designed specifically with this energy release in mind. Kids are cooped up in their classrooms for hours, urged to learn. When it’s time to get outside and play, they can move in new and exciting ways. Then, they can go back to class ready to learn even more.
They Stimulate Out-of-the-Box Thinking
One of the coolest parts of working with kids is watching their curiosity grow and watching them come up with solutions to tricky problems. But it can be tough to foster this kind of creative thinking if kids don’t get a chance to solve problems on their own. In the classroom, the urge to solve a problem can feel like a high-pressure situation because it’s work. Kids might feel like everyone’s watching them and shut down.
But on a modern playground, kids have plenty of opportunities to think outside of the box with no one watching them. They may navigate mazes, solve puzzles, or even play with musical instruments. All of these actions encourage creative thinking, stimulating the parts of the brain they’ll use once they get back in the classroom. Fresh off the playground, they’ll be eager to show off their brilliance.
They Invite Collaboration
Children have to learn to work together so that they can grow into adults who know how to collaborate, negotiate, and compromise. But it can be hard to teach this lesson in the classroom because kids are hesitant to work with someone they don’t feel comfortable with. They also tend to resist cooperating on a project when the pairing feels arbitrary. If you’ve ever been part of a group project, you understand how one person ends up doing all the work.
This outcome is much rarer on a modern playground because kids are playing freely and picking and choosing their teammates at will. They are likely to feel more emboldened and empowered to cooperate with each other to complete a game like group swinging, climbing webs, or wide slides. When they have to get each other’s help to accomplish a task they want to complete, they’re more likely to collaborate. And those lessons will transfer to the classroom naturally.
They Foster Independence
Recess and lunchtime play are some of the only times kids have some semblance of “free play.” Sure, yard duties and other supervisors are present, but the children get to decide what and how to play, within reasonable limits. Without modern playgrounds, kids may not engage their full potential to play and use their imaginations. This means they’re unlikely to build skills of independence and leadership.
But the introduction of the modern playground has changed all that. Many playgrounds now have cool themes, multi-level structures, wide slides, group swings, and more. This equipment invites children to form teams, come up with challenges, and accomplish tasks. They naturally pick leaders, workers, and organizers. And they perform all of these actions on their own, without direction from a teacher or supervisor, helping them build independence and confidence.
They Build a Foundation for Healthy Living
Finally, modern playgrounds get kids moving more, which can only ever be a good thing. Far too many schools have cut physical education out of the school day, and more kids are moving less. Obesity and diabetes rates are skyrocketing among young children, and the school yard has not always been helpful at combating those statistics. But that’s all changing with the modern playground.
Now, during recess and lunchtime, kids can run, jump, climb, swing, and more, getting more cardioactivity and building gross and fine motor skills. As they benefit in all the ways discussed here, they’re also building muscle and becoming more agile. Movement is the foundation for a healthy lifestyle, and the more kids move at school, the more they’ll want to continue to move once they get home. Modern playgrounds help lay that groundwork.
In the end, the modern playground is a direct response to many of the modern problems kids, parents, and teachers are struggling with today. Kids don’t get enough movement, they’re suffering in class, and many are failing to learn critical social and developmental skills. Though it might sound silly, great modern play equipment can help solve all of those problems. It provides kids an opportunity to play freely, build independence, work together, and get creative. Plus, they can only get healthier along the way.
Also Read: How School and Commercial Playground Equipment Builds Stronger, Healthier Communities
