Benefits of outdoor play activities highlighted in Sunderland
10/08/2010 Children in Sunderland were given the opportunity to feel the benefits of outdoor play activities during a special event to mark National Play Day.
Cheerleading, face painting and cricket were among the activities on offer at the event held at Barnwell Primary School, Houghton le Spring, Community Newswire reports.
Members of the city council were also on hand to advise the 100 families in attendance about outdoor play activities.
Raj Singh, extended services manager within Sunderland City Council children's services, said that today there is often little space in cities for children to take part in outdoor play activities and parents have concerns about letting their children play outside.
"Giving children the freedom to explore the world around them helps them to grow into independent and confident adults... It also promotes a healthy lifestyle, stimulates creative thinking and helps children to develop important social skills," he added.
Penny Nicholls, director of children and young people at the Children's Society, highlighted recently that it is "important" to let children take part in unsupervised outdoor play activities occasionally to help them develop friendships and relationships with other kids.
Cheerleading, face painting and cricket were among the activities on offer at the event held at Barnwell Primary School, Houghton le Spring, Community Newswire reports.
Members of the city council were also on hand to advise the 100 families in attendance about outdoor play activities.
Raj Singh, extended services manager within Sunderland City Council children's services, said that today there is often little space in cities for children to take part in outdoor play activities and parents have concerns about letting their children play outside.
"Giving children the freedom to explore the world around them helps them to grow into independent and confident adults... It also promotes a healthy lifestyle, stimulates creative thinking and helps children to develop important social skills," he added.
Penny Nicholls, director of children and young people at the Children's Society, highlighted recently that it is "important" to let children take part in unsupervised outdoor play activities occasionally to help them develop friendships and relationships with other kids.
