Hi, I'm Sam! I'm inviting my friends to come outside to play with me. Did you know that turning off the TV and spending more time playing outside helps you stay healthy? It's true! A 2012 study including over 7,000 young children found that when children spent less time watching TV and more time playing outside, they were less likely to be overweight (Veldhuis et al., 2012). Make sure you bring an adult outside with you to help keep you safe. My dad is joining us!

Thanks for coming outside to play with me! What should we play first?

Let's play tag, I'll be it!

Tag for Gross Motor Development

Young children need opportunities to engage and develop their gross motor abilities (Groark & Song, 2012). To help their growing bodies stay healthy, children must find play opportunities that use the big muscles in their arms and legs. Games, such as tag, that encourage children to run or jump help build gross motor skills. Playing tag can help you become a super-fast runner! Playing tag helps our bodies get stronger, and our brains get smarter (Grady, 2021).

That was fun! What should we play next?

I learned how to move like different animals in my gymnastics class, let's pretend to be animals! I'll be a bear, roar!

Grrrowl!

That sounds fun! Woof-woof!

I bet you're going to be a tiger!

Animal Moves and Bone Strength

Just like their muscles, children's bones are also becoming stronger through physical activity. Most of our bone density is developed throughout our childhood and teenage years (Kruse & Dubowy, 2017). Engaging in weight-bearing activities creates stronger bones. When we walk on our feet and hands to pretend we are a bear, or gallop like a horse, we are making stronger arm and leg bones.

I love climbing trees! I wonder how high I could climb in this tree...

Are you sure that's safe?

Sure it is, Sam's daddy is with her! It's okay to try something new or hard as long as a safe adult is there to help.

Climbing Trees and Risk-taking

Playing outside offers a multitude of natural ways for children to take risks during physical play. Engaging in a new or challenging behavior can be scary, but risk-taking is a natural part of cognitive and physical development (Grady, 2021). Trying something new and hard can help your body and brain grow; just make sure you always have a safe adult around to help.

My brother taught me how to play 'red light, green light,' who wants to play?!

Yay, that sounds like fun!

Red Light, Green Light and Control

Our children's bodies are growing so fast, it is important for them to learn to control their movements. This helps avoid accidents and corresponds with emotional regulation. Teaching children how to control their bodies during playtime gives them skills to use when they experience big emotions that make their bodies hard to control. Red light, green light teaches children to run fast, but with caution. It helps them learn how to stop quickly, follow directions, control their speed, and balance. Red light, green light is so much fun, but don't get caught moving!