In this edition we present part 4 of a 5 part series discussing the physical benefits for children of playing on a jungle gym - we continue with the benefits of developing gross motor skills and what equipment is best for its development.
Gross motor skills require whole body movement and involve the large (core stabilising) muscles of the body to perform everyday functions. Gros motor skills are required for standing and walking, running and jumping, and sitting upright at the table. They also impact on eye-hand coordination skills such as ball throwing, catching and kicking or riding a bike.
A lack of gross motor skills will result in difficulties with dressing (where you need to be able to stand on one leg to put your leg into a pant leg without falling over) and climbing into and out of a car or even getting into and out of bed. They can also affect the ability to maintain appropriate table-top posture which will affect a child’s ability to sit upright to attend to class instruction and interestingly will affect their ability to participate in fine motor skills (e.g. writing, drawing and cutting) and hence will impact on academic learning.
The large muscles of the body are developed in early childhood – mostly through play. Many of the activities that children enjoy on the playground use and improve gross motor skills. Get a Jungle Gym and improve gross motor skills.
Playground equipment to develop core strength
Climbing frames and climbing walls require whole-body engagement. The upper body is used to reach for the next handhold and the lower body is used to push up to the next step.
Monkey bars and rings utilise the upper body to stay off the ground and also improve coordination and balance.
Slides engage the lower body in order to climb to the top of the slide and require the upper body and vestibular system to hold the head upright when going down the slide.
Swinging – coordinating the movement of arms legs and trunk to keep the swing in motion will develop gross motor skills
Balance beams – require strength in the whole body to retain balance while moving forward along the beam.
Tunnels - Crawling through tunnels is good for developing a sense of the body and its position.
Take a look at the Rustics Jungle Gyms Tarantula playsystem in action
Contact us if you have would like a playground design to develop core strength
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