Understanding the Benefits of Playground Swings

Understanding the Benefits of Playground Swings

Swings are an essential feature in any playground set. Whether they are installed in your backyard, at the park or at the playground, a swinging sound is a clear indication of a child’s contentment. The thrilling fear of falling or the unexplainable sensation of flying, both elicit an exciting and relaxing feeling in children. Swinging, however, is not just about fun and a good time. It is also associated with a number of developmental and health benefits that are discussed below in detail:

Cognitive Benefits of Swinging

Swinging is especially helpful for children who are developmentally challenged as it aids in sensory integration. Sensory integration is the state at which an individual’s nervous system can interpret the world around them efficiently. For such challenged children, swinging helps stimulate their vestibular orientation as well as their sense of motion. Swinging gives the child’s brain enough practice at interpreting and organizing spatial information that forms a foundation for more complex behavior and learning later.

Swinging stimulates the cerebral cortex, the part of the brain that helps you focus. This explains why   children are ready to learn and appear more focused after recess. It is a well-known fact that repetition is the mother of learning. Swinging provides a sequential, repetitive and rhythmic pattern that is repeated at short intervals hence gives room for learning and development to take place.

Physical Benefits of Swinging

Jumping and running onto swings, pumping legs to gain momentum and height, jumping out of swings and helping push other children are all activities that improve balance, locomotion and coordination skills. When a child stops depending on someone else to propel them, a swing helps them improve their coordination. The use and timing of muscles needed to propel themselves and to slow down or speed up is quite hard for a child to learn. Therefore, swinging teaches children to think on their own and it trains them to learn full body coordination.

Swinging is a good way of improving muscle strength and honing your child’s motor skills. When a child pushes a swing or when they propel the wing themselves, they make use of all their joints and muscles to hold on, coordinate and balance their bodies to the swinging motion.

Swinging is Calming

Swinging has a calming effect on the child as a result of the rhythmic motion it produces. The feeling of soft fresh air as the child gets higher has a calming effect on the child and this helps them de-stress after a long day of school.

A Fun Way to Exercise

Swinging can help curb childhood obesity that is quite rampant in many households. The constant body movements as your child pumps to keep the swinging motion going can help them burn up to 200 calories per hour.

Fitness Kid can help you install your indoor playground equipment with ease. Our team is ready to work with you to bring your indoor playground dreams to life and give your child the best chance to grow holistically. Contact us to learn more about the products and services that we offer.