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Kids need an hour of playtime each day so that they can stay fit and children can burn calories several ways during playtime.

They can play outdoor sports or simplistic activities, such as jumping rope or throwing a frisbee.

Basketball

Basketball is a high intensity sport that improves endurance. Kids who play basketball train their whole bodies as they dribble, jump, and run on the court.

This type of training is called interval training; it is effective because it boosts metabolism and energy.

Basketball also improves agility since it is a fast paced sport. While on the court, kids have to think quickly and respond fast as the momentum changes frequently. Because kids must dodge other players to reach the basket, they enhance their agility after every game.

Double Dutch

Double Dutch is a fun activity for multiple kids at playgrounds. Everyone gets hours of enjoyment and plenty of exercise when they jump while singing different rhymes. Double Dutch is also competitive because everyone tries to spend the most time jumping between the ropes.

Parachute

When kids lift the parachute up, they work out their arm muscles. This activity has involves cardio since kids must run underneath the parachute consistently.

Children never become bored while playing this playground game. They always have fun launching items into the air off of the chute.

Benefits of outdoor play equipment

Outdoor play equipment keeps kids moving while they have fun. When kids use a slide, they must climb to the top, which works out their legs. Monkey bars and jungle gyms are effective because they work out the shoulders and arms.

How to keep kids safe at playgrounds

Although keeping kids healthy is important, they must be monitored when they play outdoors because various injuries could occur.

Typically, if the equipment is designed well, the risks will not be high. However, there are still several guidelines that must be followed.

Ensure that there is matting, wood chips, or sand under the jungle gyms, swings and see-saws. Never let your child play over a concrete surface because a drop on the head could be quite dangerous.

If the playground has wooden structures, inspect them thoroughly. Each piece of equipment should have all-weather wood surfaces, this wood will less likely have splinters.

Before your childĀ uses the equipment, examine the structure for any open chains or weak joints. If the equipment is mostly made of metal, check the surfaces for rust and sharp edges.

During the summer, touch the surface of the slide carefully. On hot days, the metal could cause a severe burn.

The swings should be made of a flexible and soft material.

Though, the biggest safety concern involves kids bumping into other kids while they swing. So, ensure that your children always walk several feet away from the swings while other kids are swinging.

Do you have any ideas to add to this list? SHARE with us in the comments below.

Image courtesy of Shutterstock.com
  • My little one does outdoor play at childcare and we take her to the park.

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  • Our kids always had outdo it activities. We had trampolines, bikes, swing sets, they had cricket sets, tennis sets, net balls, soccer balls, basketballs. We took them to the pool or the beach, went hiking, picnicking. Lots of sporty stuff

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  • i think kids these days spent more time on technology than playing outdoor. Got to start them young and let them play in the outdoor so they will love it.

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  • Anything that is active play for the kids are great. Especially if it’s outdoors so they get the sunshine as well.

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  • This is a great article. I try my best to get my son out and about as much as possible. We go to heaps of parks and the beach and try to walk whenever we can. My son too easily would be happy to stay in front of the television.

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  • Hula hoops are lots of fun!

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  • I think allowing kids to play without too much parental interference aids in their independent learning and creating play opportunities that will not present itself under strict supervision. Balance is key.

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  • My kids love riding their scooters and bikes. We have found a great bike path that has 3 playgrounds along the way. So we stop at each one, take some fruit and water and make a few hours out of it.

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  • swings and slides, cycling and group plays

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  • Maybe with the swing – you could put a bit of a fence around the swinging area, leaving the sides somewhat open to access the swings =) Would make it more safe and less bumping =)

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  • We didn’t know what the inside of our house looked like as we were always outside, playing sports, riding, swimming with friends, the good old days.

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  • I did not do uch sport as a child only due to illness but I do now … yoga gym and walking. so I think that I have more than made up for it

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  • Thanks for sharing this great article! I especially found the information about checking that play equipment was safe, very handy. My four year old loves going to the park.

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  • Thanks for these ideas. It’s so important to keep kids active!

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  • Great article. My son has developed a real interest in fitness of late. He is going on 9 and has dug out my weighted medicine ball from the spare room closet. Yesterday he did a few laps of the backyard. He has played cricket and done Auskick this year. I feel his asthma has improved through sport and it is amazing to see.

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  • We heading out I often pack a hand ball and skipping rope to keep the kids busy.

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  • Cricket in the backyard. We’re lucky enough to have a large backyard so my hubby and son spend ages out there after dinner. Walking the dog is always a good way to keep fit. And days at the beach — fun fitness in the water!

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  • Beware on some equipment that has bolts in it that go through from top to bottom on reasonably high wooden equipment. My little niece used to runder under it to get to another part until she had a gowth spurt and suddenly didn’t fit any more. She hit her head on the underneath of the bolt that was protuding about 1 1/2 inches imperial measurement. She a piece of skin off her forehead. Fortunately I had taken cold drinks and had an icepack wrapped in a towel in my picnic bag. She was lying on a garden seat with the icepack and I had a also had a toddler with me who got upset and started to cry.
    I could have used some assistance, people were walking past and not one even asked what had happened and it was quite obvious the 5 year old had hurt herself. I was pre-mobile phone and there was no public phone box nearby. She was too big to put in the younger one’s stroller so I had to walk home slowly when she recovered enough to do so.
    Please, check wooden equipment before you let your children play on it. Thankfully a lot of the newer playgrounds have a form of sponger rubber “flooring” so if the children fall there is less risk of injury.

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  • Jumping in puddles and just running in the grass are two great activities.

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  • wonderful and helpful article thanks for sharing.

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