Children love swings. It can offer them a rush of excitement as well as a soothing and calming sensation. When you push your child on a swing, it can also be an enjoyable way for the both of you to bond and spend time together. These are just some of the benefits that swings provide for kids, let us explore more of them below!

Coordination, Motor Planning and Balance

Swinging is not just a fun pastime for your kids. Not many people are aware of this fact, but swinging is great for helping your kids to develop good coordination and motor planning. Most young children between the ages of two to four learn how to pump while swinging. The pumping action requires balance, timing as well as precise control of the abdominal and truck. Allowing your kids to use a swing frequently in their developmental years can be greatly beneficial for their growth and development. A hard swing, like one made of wood, is best as their solid base helps to encourage an upright posture when the child is swinging.

Upper Body Workout

Swinging is a fun and enjoyable way for young children to work out their upper body as it makes use of the arms, legs and core. If you want your child to get in more of a workout, increase the length of the ropes on the swing. The longer the ropes are, the more strenuous swinging becomes. 

Sensory Awareness

Young children are at the age where they are discovering themselves as well as the world around them. Swinging can help your child to develop keener sensory awareness by stimulating the sense of motion and vestibular awareness. It is fantastic for helping them to view the world from different perspectives and to comprehend it from different planes of motion.

Body Awareness

Swinging aids in the development of body awareness. This is great for young children as they are at the age where they are learning how to use their bodies. Golgi tendon organs are proprioceptive sensory receptor organs that sense changes in muscle tension. They are located within the tendons found at each end of a muscle and they provide our brains with information about our joint positions. Pumping on a swing stimulates these joint receptors to create proprioceptive awareness.

Increase Focus and Attention

When your child swings at a faster pace, it causes their endorphins to rise and increases the blood flow to their brain. This helps to improve their focus and attention as well as their level of alertness. You can wake up a sleepy child with just a few minutes of swinging.

Soothing and Calming

Swinging can be soothing and calming for both adults and children. When swinging gently, it can be highly effective for both de-stressing and relaxation. It can even help to reduce the symptoms of disorders such as autism, OCD, anxiety and sensory integration disorder.

Mood Boost

Swinging can make your child feel happier by increasing their endorphin levels! A few minutes on a swing can easily put them in a better mood. After all, it is difficult for a grumpy child to stay in a bad mood while swinging on a swing.