Outdoor play activities 'offer far-ranging benefits'
12/10/2010 Outdoor play activities provide a whole range of benefits for children, one blogger has suggested.
Writing for EzineMark.com, Denise Sanger, explained that the exercise element of outdoor play activities help reduce obesity levels, but the advantages extend far beyond this.
Children who regularly take part in outdoor play activities were said to benefit from increased concentration, as well as a better understanding of risk.
There are also studies which suggest outdoor play activities help reduce the changes of children developing myopia, also known as short-sightedness, the blog added.
Speaking to the Australian earlier this year, Brien Holden, University of NSW professor and chief executive of the Vision Co-operative Research Centre, explained that time spent out of doors is "one of the most powerful influences on vision in children".
"Play with a distant horizon is likely to be more effective than play in a visually confined space," he explained.
Encouraging children to take part in outdoor play activities also helps reduce the amount of time they spend in front of the TV.
Writing for EzineMark.com, Denise Sanger, explained that the exercise element of outdoor play activities help reduce obesity levels, but the advantages extend far beyond this.
Children who regularly take part in outdoor play activities were said to benefit from increased concentration, as well as a better understanding of risk.
There are also studies which suggest outdoor play activities help reduce the changes of children developing myopia, also known as short-sightedness, the blog added.
Speaking to the Australian earlier this year, Brien Holden, University of NSW professor and chief executive of the Vision Co-operative Research Centre, explained that time spent out of doors is "one of the most powerful influences on vision in children".
"Play with a distant horizon is likely to be more effective than play in a visually confined space," he explained.
Encouraging children to take part in outdoor play activities also helps reduce the amount of time they spend in front of the TV.
