Wednesday, July 30, 2014

Learning Fun at Playgrounds

Since it’s summer you might be visiting the pool more than the playground, but they’re still an option early in the day. Heck, in Texas playgrounds are a year round activity, at least in our book.

Luckily for us we have tons of city parks in our area, each one offering something different making it fun to explore a new one every time you go.  Many neighborhoods are also keeping families in mind by providing a playground.

While in our book, Kidding Around Town, we emphasize mental activities, physical ones are good also to keep our bodies strong and healthy.   And it never hurts to combine some physical and mental learning while at playgrounds.

Here’s what kids can learn at Playgrounds.

Learning Fun at Playgrounds

One Year Olds:

*Moms of one year olds who are walking know that all they want to do at this age is show off their new found ability.  Go with it! Actually, run with it. Let them walk or run in wide open areas.

* “Baby swings” – if your park has a baby swing, this is the perfect age to buckle your child in and let them experience the wind on their face.

*Wildlife – at this age it’s still about narrating what you are doing.  If you see any wildlife, name it for your child.  Talk to them about that animal.

Twos and Threes:
*Children in this age group are still all about running around so let them burn off as much energy as possible by running and jumping.

*This age will enjoy swings too but may or may not fit in the “baby swing” depending on its size. Sing songs while you swing or imagine you are pumping your legs to reach a destination.  Three year olds have great imaginations so encourage it while swinging.

*This age group will love to run and hide from you. Make a game of it. Or pretend you’re in a castle with hidden doors and rooms.

*If you spot any wildlife (birds, bunnies, squirrels etc) have your kids identify the type of animal and make the coordinating noise if there is one.

Fours and Fives:
*This age group has mastered gross motor skills so now they can easily move on to higher slides, “fire fighter” poles, hand-over-hand ladders etc.  Look for a park with more activities to keep this age group occupied.

*Parks with creeks will also interest this age group. There is so much to explore in creeks from different types of plants to squishy animals.

*Challenge this age group in a large open space by skipping, hopping on one foot etc.

Six and Beyond:
*As with the last age group, look for a park, perhaps a city park, with more equipment and activities. This group is very agile and sure of themselves.  You’ll probably hear lots of “Look, Mom!” as they boast of their new skill.

*Parks with creeks are also good for this age. Now you can take it to the next level in learning and apply science to what you see along the creek.

*Bring a ball – many older kids are involved in sports.  Now’s the time to bring the soccer ball and kick it around for pure fun.  Or if the park has a basketball goal, shoot some hoops.

*If you’re kids are getting bored with the playground equipment, find a park with lots of room to run and play “tag” or other games. 

Here's a list of City Parks:

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We hope you find these tips helpful from the Around-Town Mom.  Lots more age-appropriate location-centric tips are available in my new bookKidding Around Townperfect for summer!
Kidding Around Town is based on research that shows early involvement and learning encourages dendrite development in the brain resulting in a smarter child.  

To assist in this development process Kidding Around Town provides 100s of local destinations and age-appropriate activities to help guide you with your outing adventures.  At less than 10 cents per location information, it's a bargain!