A playground is appealing for the whole family, whether it is an indoor playground or an outdoor one in a park. For the children, this is a great chance to get some exercise, try out playground equipment, and have a good time with their peers. For the parents, this is a fine chance to get some fresh air and help their kids burn off some energy, and have friendly chats with other parents in the park. Not all, but many parks across the United States feature playground gear for young guests, and many buildings also feature kids indoor play structures and other commercial indoor playground equipment. In some settings, a parent may need some time to finish their business, and the children need something to do. In other cases, there actually is not an outdoor park nearby, so parents can take their children to indoor playgrounds for a good time. What is there to know about children and exercise, and when and why such indoor playground should be installed?
Children and Burning Calories
The human race is designed by nature to get exercise and move. This is a relic from the days of our primate ancestors, who gave up their tree-bound vegetarian lifestyle to hunt game across the plains of Africa. No one is chasing their dinner today, but the human body still “remembers” that lifestyle, and the modern human body rewards exercise and may suffer from a lack of it. How? A lack of exercise is very clearly linked to obesity, sleep and mood issues, increased risk of diabetes and heart disease, and more. By contrast, exercise is excellent for the body, and that applies to children and adults alike. The American Heart Association has set some basic guidelines for how much exercise kids and their parents alike should get every day and every week, and it really isn’t that much. Many kids and adults fall short of those guidelines, unfortunately, but any person can help reverse that trend.
Children today often spend a lot of time on electronic screens, but parents may encourage their kids to have a more active lifestyle, usually outdoors. Kids can join a sports team at their school, go to the park to play with their peers, and more. An exercise regimen, when designed just right, will be great fun for the child and won’t even seem like work at all. Exercise is very important for children to develop muscles and coordination and balance, and exercise even helps their minds and brains grow and expand properly. Getting good exercise, put simply, makes kids better behaved, stronger, and smarter, too. Going to the park is a great way to do this, but in other cases, an indoor playground will work fine, too. Where can one be found?
Indoor Play for the Kids
Where can parents find indoor playgrounds for their children? Some fast food chains are known for having these indoor play areas in their buildings, and there, children may have fun with climbing in tubes, going down slides, and ball pits, if there are any. This is a fun way to burn some calories and there are tables where parents may sit and supervise, though such playground equipment tends to have a lot of bacteria on it. Children are urged to either eat first and then play, or wash their hands carefully after play and before eating.
Many fitness clubs and gyms also feature a children’s area. This makes a fitness center friendly for the whole family, where the parents may use adult exercise equipment while their children are occupied in the kids’ area. This is a great way to get kids moving, and it eliminates the need for a babysitter while the parents are working out in the gym. These indoor playgrounds might be smaller than what a fast food restaurant offers, but they may offer mini basketball hoops, a small slide, a petite jungle gym, jump ropes Hula Hoops, and the like. Modern fitness centers and gyms are often diverse in their offerings, from weights to an indoor track to spin classes and martial arts classes for adult patrons. The patrons’ kids, meanwhile, will have their own area, too.