{"id":2868,"date":"2013-02-27T15:34:41","date_gmt":"2013-02-27T21:34:41","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.backyardcity.com\/Outdoor-Patio-Blog\/?p=2868"},"modified":"2014-11-13T17:56:27","modified_gmt":"2014-11-13T23:56:27","slug":"swing-sets-encourage-free-play-and-foster-healthy-child-development","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.backyardcity.com\/Outdoor-Patio-Blog\/swing-sets-encourage-free-play-and-foster-healthy-child-development\/","title":{"rendered":"Swing Sets Encourage Free Play and Foster Healthy Child Development"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Trailblazer Swing Set Kit<\/p><\/div>\n

The Importance of Play and Practical Tools for Parents<\/h3>\n

Life in today’s world is hurried, and the pressures put upon children to succeed can be overwhelming. In many communities, it isn’t uncommon for parents to overschedule their children with extracurricular activities that they feel can enrich the children’s knowledge and experience. Unfortunately, what becomes lost in this arrangement is the child’s need for free play. When there is no room in the day for free play, children suffer. According to a clinical report by the American Academy of Pediatrics, “play is essential to development because it contributes to the cognitive, physical, social, and emotional well-being of children and youth.” Play is so crucial to child development that the United Nations High Commission for Human Rights recognizes play as a right that every child deserves.<\/p>\n

What is free play? Briefly, it is the kind of play that is child-centered. It is initiated by children and guided by children. Free play doesn’t involve screens or electronics, isn’t scheduled, and isn’t controlled or directed by adults. Free play is play that just happens. It can be an individual kind of play devised by one child, or it can be a cooperative effort on the part of a group of children. While adults may be invited to engage in free play with children, the children themselves must be the ones who direct the activities. Free play can come in any shape or form, but parents who wish to help encourage free play can provide children with tools to assist.<\/p>\n

In the view of many parents,\u00a0backyard swing sets<\/a><\/b>\u00a0are one of the best tools children can use for free play. With a swing set, children can initiate and engage in play, whether alone or with friends, and still be under the secretly watchful eye of mom or dad. Swing sets come in a wide array of configurations, so finding one that offers the desired features is easy. Wood swing sets are most common for backyard use, but metal swing sets are available as well. The most basic swing sets are equipped with a couple of swings and a trapeze bar or rings, but parents can also opt for more features. A club house, slide, and monkey bars are common additions that parents want for their children’s backyard swing set. Other\u00a0accessories<\/a><\/b>\u00a0can be added, of course, to meet the individual needs of the family. Some of the options can include a climbing apparatus, different types of swings, or an attached sandbox. Pretend play can be encouraged with the addition of accessories like a telescope, steering wheel, or vinyl playhouse enclosure for the swing set’s existing club house.<\/p>\n

Children are wonderfully creative and can use free play time to exercise their imagination. Swing sets are just one tool for free play that parents can provide to children, but they are a particularly powerful tool. Swing sets, in addition to encouraging imaginative free play, also encourage active play. On a swing set, children are required to move their bodies as well as their minds, and this goes a long way toward developing the whole child.<\/p>\n

When it comes down to it, though, time is the most important tool that parents can provide their children to encourage free play. Allowing more time for children to engage in their own imaginative play will benefit their development far more meaningfully than a day filled with extracurricular activities ever could.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Importance of Play and Practical Tools for Parents Life in today’s world is hurried, and the pressures put upon children to succeed can be overwhelming. In many communities, it isn’t uncommon for parents to overschedule their children with extracurricular activities that they feel can enrich the children’s knowledge and experience. Unfortunately, what becomes lost in this arrangement is the child’s need for free play. … Continue reading Swing Sets Encourage Free Play and Foster Healthy Child Development<\/span> »<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[3,14,602],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2868","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-backyard-fun","category-entertaining","category-swing-sets-play"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p2Nnyf-Kg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":1596,"url":"https:\/\/www.backyardcity.com\/Outdoor-Patio-Blog\/upgrade-swing-sets-for-summer\/","url_meta":{"origin":2868,"position":0},"title":"Upgrade Swing Sets for Summer","author":"Trey Collier","date":"May 12, 2011","format":false,"excerpt":"\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 You probably already know that wooden swing sets are a great way to provide fun and exercise to your children without leaving your home. If fact, many of you probably own one of these versatile sets. If you do, summer is the perfect time to consider upgrading and adding\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Backyard Fun"","block_context":{"text":"Backyard Fun","link":"https:\/\/www.backyardcity.com\/Outdoor-Patio-Blog\/category\/backyard-fun\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Super Tube Spiral Slide","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.backyardcity.com\/Images\/PIP\/Super-Tube-Spiral-Slide-Small.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":603,"url":"https:\/\/www.backyardcity.com\/Outdoor-Patio-Blog\/backyard-playground-safety-safety-on-the-swing-set\/","url_meta":{"origin":2868,"position":1},"title":"Backyard Playground Safety: Safety on the Swing Set","author":"Sara May","date":"February 8, 2010","format":false,"excerpt":"Considering safety when planning and constructing\u00a0new backyard playground equipment\u00a0is crucial, but just as important is considering safety while the kids are engaged\u00a0in active play on that well-designed and well-constructed equipment.\u00a0\u00a0Kids just want to have fun, but sometimes that fun can have some hidden dangers about which parents and caregivers should\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Backyard Fun"","block_context":{"text":"Backyard Fun","link":"https:\/\/www.backyardcity.com\/Outdoor-Patio-Blog\/category\/backyard-fun\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":1694,"url":"https:\/\/www.backyardcity.com\/Outdoor-Patio-Blog\/options-abound-with-vinyl-playhouses\/","url_meta":{"origin":2868,"position":2},"title":"Options Abound with Vinyl Playhouses","author":"Trey Collier","date":"July 8, 2011","format":false,"excerpt":"Does your swing set have a space at the bottom? Perhaps a sandbox that has gone unused for years or an open area that seems like wasted space? Spruce it up with a custom vinyl playhouse. You provide the dimensions of your fort, and we create a custom solution that\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Backyard Fun"","block_context":{"text":"Backyard Fun","link":"https:\/\/www.backyardcity.com\/Outdoor-Patio-Blog\/category\/backyard-fun\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.backyardcity.com\/Outdoor-Patio-Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/07\/vinyl-playhouse-window-blue-small.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":2871,"url":"https:\/\/www.backyardcity.com\/Outdoor-Patio-Blog\/three-swing-set-updates-that-keep-kids-interested-in-backyard-play\/","url_meta":{"origin":2868,"position":3},"title":"Three Swing Set Upgrades That Keep Kids Interested in Backyard Play","author":"Trey Collier","date":"March 1, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"The\u00a0backyard swing set\u00a0you bought for your kids when they were small was probably filled with challenging and fun equipment just right for their age and size. Bucket swings for safety, a short ladder leading to a scoop slide, and maybe even a club house for hours of pretend play. As\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Backyard Fun"","block_context":{"text":"Backyard Fun","link":"https:\/\/www.backyardcity.com\/Outdoor-Patio-Blog\/category\/backyard-fun\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.backyardcity.com\/Images\/Jensen\/Heavy-Duty-Scoop-Lifestyle.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":445,"url":"https:\/\/www.backyardcity.com\/Outdoor-Patio-Blog\/swing-set-accessories-meet-kids-different-needs-for-movement\/","url_meta":{"origin":2868,"position":4},"title":"Swing Set Accessories Meet Kids\u2019 Different Needs For\u00a0Movement","author":"Sara May","date":"July 16, 2009","format":false,"excerpt":"So many backyard swing sets are avoided by kids or have been abandoned altogether...but why?\u00a0 Standard variety\u00a0swing sets come with swings, of course, and a slide --\u00a0perhaps some monkey bars.\u00a0 But kids don't ever come in a standard variety.\u00a0 Each child has a need to move his or her body\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Backyard Fun"","block_context":{"text":"Backyard Fun","link":"https:\/\/www.backyardcity.com\/Outdoor-Patio-Blog\/category\/backyard-fun\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":601,"url":"https:\/\/www.backyardcity.com\/Outdoor-Patio-Blog\/backyard-playground-safety-tips-for-constructing-your-new-swing-set\/","url_meta":{"origin":2868,"position":5},"title":"Backyard Playground Safety: Tips For Constructing Your New Swing Set","author":"Sara May","date":"February 3, 2010","format":false,"excerpt":"Once you have planned\u00a0the safest location for your new backyard swing set equipment and have selected the most suitable protective surface material\u00a0for underneath and around the equipment, you\u00a0are ready to construct.\u00a0\u00a0Of course, safety considerations during swing set construction\u00a0are just as important as during the planning stage.\u00a0\u00a0 By following the guidelines\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Backyard Fun"","block_context":{"text":"Backyard Fun","link":"https:\/\/www.backyardcity.com\/Outdoor-Patio-Blog\/category\/backyard-fun\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.backyardcity.com\/Outdoor-Patio-Blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2868","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.backyardcity.com\/Outdoor-Patio-Blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.backyardcity.com\/Outdoor-Patio-Blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.backyardcity.com\/Outdoor-Patio-Blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.backyardcity.com\/Outdoor-Patio-Blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2868"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.backyardcity.com\/Outdoor-Patio-Blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2868\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2870,"href":"https:\/\/www.backyardcity.com\/Outdoor-Patio-Blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2868\/revisions\/2870"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.backyardcity.com\/Outdoor-Patio-Blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2868"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.backyardcity.com\/Outdoor-Patio-Blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2868"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.backyardcity.com\/Outdoor-Patio-Blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2868"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}