6 Benefits of Swingsets for Children
When deciding if a swingset is the right purchase for your children, you should consider the many benefits they come with.
Not only can they provide hours of fun for your children, but they can also improve your child’s coordination, help develop their social skills, and provide a cognitive boost.
Below, we discuss the 6 benefits of swingsets for children to help you decide if this is the right choice for your backyard.
They Promote Social Skills
An excellent benefit is how they can help develop your child’s social skills. Swingsets are usually played with multiple children, so your child will need to interact with other children. By playing on a swingset, they can develop cooperation, communication skills, and empathy.
They will need to learn how to share the equipment, help each other with climbing frames or swinging higher, and ensure everyone is treated fairly. You might need to guide your child here before they start enjoying the swingset, with ground rules that must be followed.
For younger children, you might need to get involved to ensure they are sharing the equipment fairly. Playing with other children on a swingset can also help your child’s imagination develop as they create games to play with one another.
They Help with Coordination, Balance, and Strength
Playing with a swingset helps children with healthy growth and development, without them realising they are actually exercising. They can help to improve strength, balance, and coordination in the following ways:
Coordination
The swinging motion required to use a swing involves children coordinating their body movements to ensure the swing keeps moving. Precise timing is required to ensure their leg thrusts keep their body moving back and forth, which requires coordination skills. Regular swinging can help develop these skills, too.
Most swingsets come with climbing features that your child can enjoy too, like ropes or climbing frames. Using these also develops their coordination, as they learn how to use their hands and feet together to help them climb up and down safely.
Balance
When using swings and a seesaw, your child needs to maintain their balance as they move. They need to ensure they remain in the seat while the swing moves, and not come off the seesaw as they move up or down. Using these regularly can help to improve their balance, reduce falls, and make sports, like dancing or gymnastics, easier for them.
Balance beams can also be found on swingsets and will help your child improve their balance. As they walk along a narrow path, they will need to balance themselves to prevent falling, which can help them develop their ability to maintain and control their body position.
Strength
Climbing walls and monkey bars on swingsets can help your child build their upper body strength as they learn how to lift themselves and hold themselves as they swing from one bar to another. Regularly using these can enhance muscle tone and endurance in the back, arms, and shoulders.
Slides and pole climbs also improve their strength, where the repetitive motion of climbing up and down poles and slides can help with their leg and core muscles.
They Support Emotional and Mental Health
An important benefit of swingsets is how they help with emotional and mental health. Children playing outside can notice a difference in their mental and emotional health, with the following benefits:
- Providing a break from screen time and indoor routines to prevent fatigue and other issues
- Releasing endorphins to lift their moods
- Reducing stress and anxiety while calming them
The rhythmic motion of swinging can soothe and relax children, acting as a natural stress reliever. It is similar to the feeling of being rocked in the arms of a parent, which can help to improve a sense of well-being and reduce anxiety. Regular swinging on a swingset can enhance your child’s mood, too, and help to reduce any feelings of depression.
They Have the Same Benefits as Formal Exercise
While swingsets seem fun for children, they have many of the same benefits as other formal exercises, making them an excellent way to get your child moving. As your child swings, they will work their legs, arms, and core muscles, strengthening them. They will also improve their cardiovascular health as they continue moving and having fun.
They Provide a Cognitive Boost
Playing outdoors on a swingset can help your child develop language and communication skills and provide a boost in their cognitive development. Thai can also help with academic performance, as children need to think quickly and solve problems while playing. These scenarios will enhance their decision-making skills, but also see an increase in blood flow to the brain, improving memory and concentration.
As we mentioned earlier, playing on swingsets can also enhance imagination and creativity, as children create games and engage in new play scenarios. These can be enhanced when playing with others, or by themselves too.
They Build Immune Defences
Studies in Finland found that children who play in green spaces can experience an enhanced immune function. In just one month of regular play on swingsets or at playgrounds, the boost to their immune defences makes them less prone to illnesses and increases their ability to fight off infections.
By playing outside in areas with plants and grass, their bodies are exposed to microbes that can train the immune system. Their system will become familiar with a range of microorganisms and bacteria, helping to reduce their risk of infections.
Find Your Kids Swingset Today
Swingsets have plenty of benefits for your child beyond keeping them entertained, which is why you should consider adding one to your garden.
You can purchase them from multiple retailers, but we recommend Vuly, which offers a variety of swing sets at an affordable price. A Vuly swing set will provide years of fun for your child and help improve their health and well-being!
