If you are worried about your child’s cognitive development, then the child nutrition products are not enough. Children need both nutrition and movement-based learning for a proper cognitive growth; therefore, it is crucial that you understand the importance of both nutrition and activity based play. This article will highlight the effect of physical activity on the various cognitive functions.
Physical Activity and the Brain
A growing body of research shows that highly vigorous physical activities have the tendency to increase mental capacity that helps children develop strong skills for various academic endeavors. But that’s not the only advantage of physical activity; movement-based learning and any other task that allows children to engage in challenging physical tasks can evoke a sense of self-confidence, self-reliance and self-efficacy.
“I think it would be too strong to call it an elixir, but it has the broad effects of something like that,”
says the Yale University child psychologist and the editor of Clinical Psychological Science, Alan Kazdin.
Research shows that ample active play in the early stages of life can eliminate fatal diseases like cancer, cardiovascular disease and other heart diseases. So by giving our children enough opportunities to play, we are giving them a chance to have a better life.
What Kind of Play can Produce Mental Sharpness?
Any kind of play (both structured and unstructured) can generate sound mental sharpness and cognitive strength that can help kids develop strong skills for academic achievement. However, the type of play is not the only thing that you need to consider; you also have to make sure that your kids have a chance to explore age-appropriate school playground equipment. Many parents and academic institutions are usually not aware of the type of play structures that are essential for both physical and cognitive health.
Our schools and playgrounds lack the proper play gear that can actually enhance our children’s overall health. So, what can we do? The least we can do is to encourage all sorts of supervised and non-supervised activities. Parent teacher meetings and public meetings are a great way to raise a voice for better playgrounds and play structures.
How to Encourage Active Play?
Learning and physical development start at home. Forget about the grimy playgrounds and less-than-appropriate outdoor playground equipment. You can let your child have all the needed physical activity at home. Make sure that your kids do not have a mind-numbing distraction such as the video games, and encourage them to devise their own play settings in the backyard or the nearest playground.
There are a number of backyard games, such as hide and seek, sand castles, backyard bowling and gardening, that can help children explore the deepest realms of their imagination. In addition, provide them with the tools to be more creative. Simple gardening and art and craft tools can make a lot of difference when it comes to evoking creativity in a child.
Equation of Success
Physical activity +proper nutrition = higher academic success
The more the physically challenging activities, the higher the rate of success. This is the only effective way that can help your children build a better future for themselves. So, help discover themselves and find better ways to live their lives by giving them the opportunities for active play.