by Rachel Perrier on 14 October 2014
As parents we all know that a little bit of risk is a wonderful way to challenge our children and help them to develop a greater understanding of themselves. Often deciding how much freedom we should give our children causes a conflict of interests, our instincts tell us to protect them while our common sense tells us that they need to take risks. Risk taking is indeed very good for children because it allows them to face adversity and learn how to cope with success and failure. Play England states on their website, 'Through taking risks, children build their capabilities, explore their emotions, expand their horizons, and test boundaries. They also gain practical experience of taking responsibility for their safety'. While it is wholly impractical and dangerous to leave children to their own devices we can allow children to play in safe environments with minimal adult supervision.
The role of an adult during child directed play sessions is really to just stay out of sight and allow the children to be in charge of their own game. This is particularly important if you have a child's climbing frame in your garden. Installing a child's climbing frame in your garden has many benefits for the whole family as your children can use it whenever they like and they can be supervised in comfort. Apart from being able to have regular exercise there are many benefits from the outside play opportunities your climbing frame provides.
Climbing is an amazing physical exercise as it strengthens virtually every muscle in your body which in turn improves the fine motor skills required for activities such as; writing and drawing. The problem solving nature involved in maneuvering around a climbing frame gives children the opportunity to work things out for themselves. The sense of achievement when they reach the top of the structure and the exhilaration they get when they slide down produces feel good chemicals in the bloodstream and increases happiness and self esteem. Children become responsible for their own safety and begin to learn their own limits physically and also what scares them a little bit so they become more spatially aware and less likely to hurt themselves in everyday life.
Imaginative play enables a child to turn their climbing frame into any fantasy structure they wish, the slide stops being just a slide and becomes an escape route from a spaceship. Children become more imaginative if we just leave them to develop their ideas on their own. Encouraging our children to play independently involves us being there to observe but not interfere, many children are often so delighted with their ideas and achievements that they will ask you to have a look at what they have done or watch them climb to the top of the climbing frame allowing you to give them lots of praise and encouragement.
With thirteen pieces of children's wooden play equipment to choose from it will be easy to find a child's climbing frame that your whole family will cherish for many years.
