Are Playgrounds Good For Early Childhood Education?

My son and I go to playgrounds quite a bit. Now-a-days, it is a little different as we go with my son and daughter. Now I have to watch her a little more closely and don’t get to spend as much time with him. The dynamic relations has changed a bit.

But before, it was just me and my son and some of these playgrounds are a little more difficult than the others. There are some parks out there where he would have to reach across some gigantic gap or climb some pole that he didn’t feel too confident about.

You could see the look in his face of fright and lack of confidence. He wasn’t sure he would be able to do it. It was at this time I knew that I had to jump in and help him. Not to physically save the day, but to reassure him mentally that he could do it or he could at least try. I would be there to help, if needed, but he needed to see for himself that he could do it.

It was that safe and fun exposure to the world at the playground that has turned out to be a wonderful early childhood education experience for him. You can do the same thing for your kids, too.

Sharing is Caring

Being at the playground is a wonderful experience in learning, sharing, and responding to the world quickly. When there is only one slide and eight kids or two swings and six kids, your kids will quickly come to understand that if they don’t share they don’t get to do anything.

They also quickly learn that if mommy and daddy get involved because things are out of hand, then they might have to leave the playground and that is no fun at all. Playground experiences are quick reminders that sharing is necessary, important, and a lesson you will learn very quickly. This all boils down to lessons your kids will learn very quickly, too. Kind of like lessons we can learn from other people’s failures.

Making new friends

I cannot go to a playground now without having my son and daughter immediately have three to four friends. They also be talking about them the rest of the day. It is a beautifully cute and wonderful thing. Now you still have to kind of be around to watch them interact and make sure that the other kids are doing something that is within your family guidelines and morals.

However, most of the time they are just good kids having good fun. It is neat to see them have this unfiltered freedom for friendship at this early age. Things get more difficult as you get older. So let them enjoy this time. Let them figure out that social interaction and friendliness is okay.

Confidence and Self-Esteem

When they finally conquered that gigantic rocket slide, dealt with the fear of approaching a new friend, or the confidence in helping others jump across the lava pit that they imagined across the entire playground, they will piece by piece build their self-esteem and confidence.

It’s these little ‘wins’ now that help plant the seeds that help them grow for the rest of their lives. This is a necessary thing for a healthy childhood development. Give yourself some great examples by seeing just how awesome you are, too.

Let the Little Ones Grow

The next time you are looking for early childhood education for your kids, consider the playground. It’s a great place to learn sharing, making new friends, and great new ways to instill confidence and self-esteem in them. The next time you are in the playground, hang out a little bit longer and increase their exposure time.