Who can forget hanging from monkey bars or the metal dome climber? Both swing sets and jungle gyms have greatly advanced since the first jungle gym was invented in 1920 by Sebastian Hinton. His first patent appealed to the “monkey instinct”; claiming the benefits of climbing as exercise and play for children. The design and materials have changed since 1920, but the idea is the same. Watch your children lay down the remote and walk away from the computer when they have their own indoor or outdoor play area. There is nothing more valuable than providing kids a safe place to play, have fun and get exercise. One of the dilemmas parents face is how to ensure their children get the exercise they need in the winter months. This is where an indoor jungle gym comes into play!
One of the many benefits of designing your personal jungle gym is that you can build on to them. With the colorful collections of swing sets and play systems on the market today, you have endless possibilities. When your child is young, you can introduce them to an indoor gym appropriate for their age. As they grow, you may build onto it and connect buildings. Gyms and swing sets are the perfect way to get the whole family to play together. As your child grows, you may want to install a basketball net or maybe an outdoor basketball system, as well.
Another benefit of creating a personal gym or swing set structure? You have the opportunity to provide your children with not only a fun place to play and get exercise, but also develop their imaginations. With the many accessories you have to choose from when designing your gym, the possibilities are endless. The playhouse you created for your child when he or she was three can become their own clubhouse when they are seven. Plus when you make your children a safe, fun place to play, you know where they are. Your home will be the place neighbourhood friends will want to hang out, which makes knowing where your kids are or whom they are associating with a much easier task. As a parent, you will see your children laughing, climbing and having fun with their friends, in a safe environment—your own home or backyard.
Decades of research has documented that play has a crucial role in growth, learning and development of children from infancy through adolescence. Play is typically considered a physical act, but also involves cognitive alertness. Games like tic-tac-toe can hold a child’s attention as much as a game of basketball. Both of these types of games can be built into your child’s gym. Children can also learn ways of interacting with peers through play.
Whether a child is pushed in a swing or when they learn to propel a swing themselves, they are using all of their muscles. From being able to hold on, balance and coordinate their body to the rhythm of moving back and forth, swinging provides a child personal knowledge and understanding of cause and effect. Play is what children and young people do when they develop their own ideas and interests in their own way. Older children and teenagers generally do not use the term ‘play’, but still have a need for places to go where they can enjoy their own leisure play space. This is why it’s a wise investment to create a gym for your children. It will be something they will use from a young age right up into their teen years. As your family grows, so can your gym. Start today, add onto your gym annually and watch your children’s minds and muscles grow.
