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The Importance of Outdoor Learning Equipment

Playing outdoors is one of the most memorable and important aspects of childhood. It’s essential for children to learn about the world by exploring their environment, and educators can help facilitate these skills by introducing playground equipment that helps kids learn about the world. Educational outdoor play structures are a great way to instill a love of learning into young children because they make learning fun! Equipment related to all of the major subjects is available, including math, science, and music. With playground structures from AAA State of Play, kids will be excited to rush outside and start exploring.

The Importance of Play

Outdoor play is very important to child development. Children need to explore, manipulate, and discover their environment. They benefit from being able to run, jump, sing, pretend, and create. By transforming an outdoor space into a learning playground with many structures that encourage creative thinking, kids will get the most out of their time outside. Outdoor play is important because it fosters the growth of fine and gross motor skills. It also promotes cardiovascular health and reduces childhood obesity. Playing outdoors is the perfect way for children to learn about the world around them. Kids learn fundamental things about their environment while participating in outdoor learning activities, and studies have shown that this information is more likely to be remembered because it is meaningful to them. In order to create the best environment for learning, playground equipment should be fun and educational. At AAA State of Play, we take this seriously and offer a variety of fun, unique play structures to help you build the perfect educational playground.

Gardening

Children benefit greatly from outdoor activities that allow them to get some fresh air and exercise. Gardening not only encourages them to get outside, but provides numerous other benefits to their developing minds and bodies. Raised garden beds can be added to almost any play area to bring nature to the classroom. Gardening kits and planters can be combined with water tables and activity panels to create a complete outdoor learning environment for preschool and elementary age kids of all abilities.

Plants and Animals

As children plant, care for and harvest their blooms and vegetables, they can learn the names of several plant species. Small furry creatures and insects may also come for a taste of garden tomatoes or flower nectar, giving parents or teachers the opportunity to teach the kids about the characteristics of these animals and their purpose in nature. Gardening is an excellent opportunity to teach older children about the earth’s ecosystem and biological functions like photosynthesis or the structure of a plant cell. And little ones can begin to work out the plant life cycle or label the parts of a flower.

Seasons and Weather

Students have likely noticed how various trees and plants can look during different seasons. Colorful, falling leaves in autumn or fully-bloomed flowers in the spring may have caught their eye. A garden can be a controlled way to explain the changes in the season and the impact that has on plants. Different vegetables can be planted throughout the year. Kids can observe as a flower shrivels and disappears around Halloween and miraculously reappears from its bulb around Easter. Gardening activities are also a great way to teach about weather and the effects it has on plant life. Teachers can take the opportunity to explain the role of water and sun in plant growth. Little ones will be delighted at the idea of their plant friends returning each year as they continue to care for them.

Find more about the author: Kim Hart



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