Why Our Kids Need Outside Play Time Every Day!
This post was sponsored by Landscape Structures as part of an Influencer Activation for Influence Central and all opinions expressed in my post are my own.
Are you making sure your kids have plenty of Outside Play time this Summer?
The theme for our family's Summer Break this year is "Go Outside and PLAY!" I don't want my kids spending their whole summer sitting in front of a tv, tablet or computer. While these devices can be fun and entertaining, too much time in front of them is NOT healthy for our kids young developing bodies and minds. And so we require outside to play every day. While I try to have fun outside toys available for our kids to use in our yard, it is not uncommon for my kids to ask me, "Mom can we go to the park to play?"
Though my schedule is pretty busy (as a work at home mom) whenever possible my answer is "YES, we can go play at the park." I love that we live near soo many amazing parks. Some are within easy walking distance and others just a short drive away.
Some of my favorite parks are ones made by Landscape Structures. Their parks are really well made. My kids love how they are creatively built for all ages and abilities so there they all can have fun together and enjoy innovative play experiences together. When you visit a Landscape Structures Park you can totally see how the parks are more than just a playground but easily become gathering places for the whole community. You can find the Landscape Structures Playgrounds near you -->HERE<--
Outside play (especially at well-made parks like Landscape Structures have soo many benefits both mentally and physically for our kids. Check out this video which shows the power of outside play.
Yes, there are many great benefits to encouraging your children to play outside and taking the time to take them to play at the park. Here are my top 4 reasons:
1- Outside play at a park has a lot of health benefits. Kids spend too much time inside in front of screens (which isn't good for them) getting your kids playing outside provides fresh air and lots of Vitamin D. It also provides exercise which helps their young bodies to grow and develop.
2- Playing at parks gives opportunities for your kids to easily meet and interact with other children in a fun non-threatening way. This helps them to develop social skills and also confidence.
3- A well-built playground helps kids to use their imaginations, problem-solving skills, and instill other useful lifelong skills through mastery and self-discovery.
4- Playing at the park uses up your kid's excess energy so that when you get home they aren't bouncing off the walls and driving the adults crazy. (Maybe I should have put this benefit first)
Last night my kids asked if we could go to a new park, So I went to the Landscape Structures website to look up if they had any parks nearby that we hadn't gone to yet (or for a long time) I found the perfect park (from it's photo I knew that offered lots of play opportunities.) so we got in the car and drove the 10 minutes to get there. My kids had sooo much fun we had to practically drag them away to go home for dinner (after they had already been playing hard for over an hour.) We will definitely be going back.
I think as much as my kids needed to go to the park to play I needed to go too. It felt good to relax in the fresh air listening to the laughter of my kids as they ran, climbed, swung, slid and explored all the park had to offer.
Do your kids have a favorite park they like to play at?
If you liked this article then check out these: (click on the photo to go to the article) 
So...when my oldest was little, I worked as a single mom, overnights. I would be EXHAUSTED during the day so I would throw an iPad in front of him so that I could get some rest. BIGGEST mistake ever. His vision is so poor due to sitting in from of that iPad screen. His eye doctor said that they are seeing a rise in poor vision of younger kids due to too much screentime! So I agree, it’s not good for you. Get them out to play!