Outdoor Sport and Play

Organised and well-structured youth sports and ongoing physical activities can provide many benefits for children and adolescents. Positive experiences that sports and an active lifestyle bring play an important role in a young person's life.

Sport has always been known for its physical benefits, but increasingly - and perhaps more importantly - for the positive effect it has on mental health. Habits are established early in life and evidence suggests that physically active children are more likely to mature into physically active adults.

Some of the many benefits of sport participation for children include:

• Reduced risk of obesity
• Increased cardiovascular fitness
• Healthy growth of bones, muscles, ligaments and tendons
• Good coordination and balance
• Better quality of sleep
• Improved social skills
• Improved personal skills, including cooperation and leadership

This type of play is a huge learning opportunity and the benefits of outdoor play for children’s development can be seen in a multitude of ways: physically, mentally and importantly through language development.
Encouraging your child to be active is important and there are a number of ways you can help, including:

• Leading by example - be active yourself
• Making sure that some family outings offer opportunities for physical activity, such as playing sport together
• Encouraging your child to walk or ride their bicycle for short trips
• Supporting your child’s efforts in sport. Make sure you’re there at each match, cheering them on from the sidelines
• Setting time limits on sedentary activities like computer games and television
• Consulting with your child’s school on ways to encourage greater participation in sports and physical activity

Playground and outdoor play satisfy a child’s basic need for social interaction with their peers, fresh air, and exercise. It’s a learning place where exploration, imagination, fun, excitement and laughter exist in abundance. If you are looking to develop an outdoor space that will benefit children via physical and/or learning activities, please feel free to contact our sales team at sales@fahr-industries.com for more details.