Children of all ages love to play, and the importance of learning through play is emphasised within the education system. Nursery and primary schools provide play equipment that encourages social skills and physical activity for children of all ages. Even secondary schools have taken to providing assault course style adventure areas for teenagers, commonly featuring scramble nets, climbing walls and zip lines. Whilst this is providing exercise for the kids at school, it is often the lack of physical activity at home that is blamed for the growing number of overweight children. If you are reading this and over the age of 30, then you will recall that during you childhood, there was freedom to roam without fear. As children, this generation, and the ones before them would play out in the streets, the woodlands, fields and beaches for hours on end, unsupervised and without any communication. The children in today's society, although equipped to the max with high tech gadgets, rarely go beyond the threshold of the computer room. The provisions on offer with the four walls of the family home are a much more attractive option than anything on the outside; and the parents appear to be happy with that too, at least they know the kids are safe. The trouble is that this lifestyle has created generation after generation of kids that have not experienced the freedom of play we enjoyed as children. Play equipment in public parks has made a comeback since the days of the That's Life team and the horror stories surrounding the playground equipment of the time and the injuries they caused. Despite this, parents want to know where children are and that translates as a preference for Playstation over playground. Although this is an understandable stance, it is not a healthy one. It is the responsibility of the parents to provide adequate play for children; much the same as you wouldn't own a hamster and not have a ball. Childhood obesity is a serious issue, and with technology in schools advancing, replacing one screen with another is potentially damaging in more ways than one. Repetitive strain injury from using consoles, eye strain and migraine from visual display units and the general inactivity associated with technological 'toys' are damaging our children, and it is up to the guardians and carers of these kids to provide a positive solution. In an era where property improvement is a hot topic, we should embrace change and reclaim the garden. Scrap the herbaceous border and invest in residential play equipment that will provide the precious playtime that children so desperately need. Swings, slides and trampolines provide hours of fun for children from five to fifteen. If space permits, a climbing tower will not only exercise the brain by encourage imaginative play, it will exercise every muscle in the body too. By providing residential play equipment, the battle of Playstation vs playground is a fairer one. The opportunity for outdoor play is rarely turned down when children have the freedom to choose, especially if it involves playing with other children too. Just as a hamster will run from a cage given the chance, children will flock to a climbing frame and not necessarily the computer.
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