Causes of excessive usage off mobile
Young children are actively attached to the screens today.Though there is a wide range of convenient advantages of the use of technology there is also the need to maintain a balance between using a screen and going out to play that can also prove to be helpful to a child in terms of overall growth and well being. The activities that are implemented outside have their effects in physical fitness, creativity and emotional growth of the children and due to this, there is need to incorporate them into their daily life.
This paper shall dwell on some of the tips that parents can use to maintain healthy balance between digital and physical activity and allow children to develop in a healthy ecosystem.
The Impact of Screen Time on the Health of the Children
Excessive screen time can negatively impact the health of children because it can contribute to a number of negative consequences. The frequent surfing in front of the screens might cause:
Ditch eye strain and eye sight issues
Blue light induced sleeps disturbances
Acting out of sedentary behaviour increases risk of obesity.
Spending much time near the screen usually implies reduced sports activities that are vital to the physical development of a child. In the case when the children lack sufficient movement, they can be delayed in acquiring the skills of utilizing advanced motor functions and physical prowess.
Sports and exercises do not merely have to with burning the energy, it also contributes to the mental and emotional growth in a great way. Outdoor regular play children are bound to:
- sensorimotor emotional variety
- Develop better stress management skills
Be happier and more imaginative
Physical activities are established to be mood lifts and stimulating creativity, strong muscles and bones, maintenance of a healthy weight, and learnt coordination. Finding the golden mean between a screen time and outside play will help kids gain the benefits of outdoor play and eliminate the adverse outcomes of overusing the screens.
Advantages of the Outdoor Play to Children
Many Health Advantages
Outside play is loaded with health benefits to children. There is more to the fun the kids have when they get involved in outdoor activities; they are also enhancing their bodily health.
Physical Benefits
Exercise will also help keep children active.There are physical advantages of outdoor play; they are: Fitness effects: the running, the jumping, and the climbing activity in play serves to strengthen the heart muscles and enhance heart fitness. Enhanced Motor Skills: Hopscotch, playing tag, riding a bicycle, catching a ball builds on hand and eye and fine motor skills.
Better Coordination: Walking on a log or skipping generates a better coordination of the body.
Mental and Emotional Cortes
Working outside has both mental and emotional attractions as well:
Decreased Stress: Nature and fresh air will lower the stress level and help children relax.
Happier Mood: Sun elevates the level of serotonin which leads to the child being happier.
Increased Creativity: Open spaces allow kids to use their creativity and invent games they can play with others or even explore the space or area.
Outdoor activities also add to other brain development that screen time can never run. When kids are encouraged to take part in outdoor activities, it has a social advantage since it enhances sportsmanship and teamwork. Through activity, children are exposed to a comprehensive way of developing since they have a mental and physical growth.
Learning Screen Time Recommendation
Recommended Amount of Screen Time
Specialists provide the following age limits of screen time:
- 0-2 years
- Amount: 1 hour a day
Setting boundariesEstablishing clear limits will give the children a sense of what to do and when not to utilize the screens. It is critical that these habits are instilled at an early age in regard to their emotional growth.Good screen Practices Consist of
Do not go to bed with TV screens because the brain will not relax.
When the screen time is long, you are encouraged to have breaks.
Giving relaxing spaces that nurture concentration and avoid distractions.When parents are aware of and put into practice these guidelines they will be able to avoid developing health complications associated with spending too much time on the screen and instead foster physical development associated with more active games.
Effective Tips on How to Manage Screen Time and the Outdoor Play
Create a Schedule of Screen TimeSetting a screen time limit would help to achieve an optimal balance of using screens and playing outdoors. These are steps to be followed to get started:
Establish screen-free times: Decide on the specific hours when children are not allowed to use a screen, and make kids aware of these stipulations.
Set up time slots outdoor play activities: Just as screen time, we should designate time slots of outdoor play. This makes kids eagerly and eagerly await their energizing sessions.
Have children at the planning table: Kids will be more committed to the plan when they take part in planning themselves.A possible example of this is as follows:
Morning: half an hour of learning activities in front of the screen in the mornings in combination with breakfast.
Late Morning: Outdoor play of an hour before lunch.
Afternoon: One more hour of the outdoor exercises after a small rest.This moderate solution motivates children to take the most of the vast spectrum of the educational material and physical activity and relate to a more blissful life in the households and the improvements of the siblings relationship life.
Establishing screen-free areas in your house can go a long way in facilitating your kids to play outside and other offline activities. Establish screen-free areas such as living room, dining, or separate bedrooms so that as much as possible, they use less of the screens.
Dedicated Play Areas: Provide outdoor opportunities to play by creating unique and interactive zones such as the backyard or a special corner in the garden. Fill these spaces with Backyard Discovery products including swings, slides, and activity tables to make them kid friendly.
Family Interaction: Encourage areas that family members can gather without using their digital devices. Games in the living room or storytime in the garden help to spend valuable time with each other and strengthen family ties.
Led by Example
And kids do what they observe in their parents. It is necessary to find the appropriate balance between the time spent in the screen and outside. Parents can:
Get involved in outdoor play: Get to play fun games and outdoor activities with your children. This does not only hold a good example but also enhances the family bond.
Foster a sense of family adventures: Take the family on frequent outings to the park, nature reserve, or just tour around your neighborhood.
Outdoor play equipment: Purchase play equipment that will encourage movement and active play. Such tools can include trampolines, bikes, and make outdoor play building more attractive.
Offer exciting outdoors toys and activities
The purchase of the outdoors toys and equipment can facilitate active playing, and its consequences extend long beyond the benefits children get. It will create a more cheerful family atmosphere. Popular options are listed below;
- Metal Swing Sets: They are an invitation to physical exercise and unlimited enjoyment.
Climbing Frames: Develop motor ability and self esteem.
Monkey Bars: Enhance strength and body coordination. - 2-in-1 Activity Tunnel: Offer dual functionalities for varied play experiences.
Limit Screen Time Rewards
. This practice would make children comprehend that outdoor activities are essential to their value. The reward system can be promoted as kids can be also offered to earn screen time with the help of doing some outdoor tasks or activities which also can contribute to the healthier lifestyle.
To seal the concern that outdoor play is part of the family, Sample:
Instituting a policy whereby screen time gets a reward with physical activity.
Allotting time to assignment of the screen by a particular period of play outside.
Setting up a chart in which outdoor chores accomplished are a reward in terms of screen time.
Plan Outdoor Adventures
Putting well in place outdoor adventures as a family makes the family happier living and also makes the family life more enriched and enriched with a sort of shared experience. Here are some tips to use to improve your screen time balance:
Outdoor Activities: Take up activities such as football, basketball, cycling outdoors. These exercises: come along with numerous advantages that include physical strength and a team spirit.
Unforgettable moments: Spend picnics, hikes or go to the beach. Such journeys do not only provide them with fun, but also impress on them with physical activity, and liking the outdoors.
Encourage Social Outdoor Play
Encouraging social outdoor play helps children develop essential skills while enjoying the extensive benefits of the outdoors.Helping children to play outside with friends/siblings: Having outdoor play sessions regularly in your garden or local park will aid massively in enhancing activity rates. Outdoor games are healthy and entertaining because kids usually get to play more whenever they are together.
Scheduling playdates and group outings to promote socialisation and physical outdoor activities: Find other families to play dates or sign up kids to the group where there are playdates and outdoor activities. Besides keeping children active it also provides children with immense opportunities to socialize, cooperate with others and makes their friends that in some cases can last a lifetime.
The need to stress values of teamwork, cooperation and communication in an outdoor playing environment: In outdoor play, games require teamwork, cooperation and communication to work. Treasure hunting, relay races, or fortune-making a castle can help children learn how to cooperate and be a team, how to distribute tasks, and manage to communicate well.
Engage in the outdoor seasonal activities
Experience of diverse outdoor activities, depending on the season, establishes a pattern of continuous engagement on the part of children. There are exclusive opportunities in every season
Winter: Decrease the winter blues and encourage any outdoor activity in the winter with the thought of an ice skating rink or get cute and offer a farm tour where you get to feed and touch the barnyard animals.
Spring: Have them grow something, be that flowers or vegetables.
Summer: Go to sprinklers or paddling pools or a beach.
Summer: Play with sprinklers or paddling pools or at a beach.
Fall: Take walks through the nature to gather leaves and colour and to investigate.
Conclusion
Managing screen time when balanced with outdoor activities is something that is vital to the well being of a child. Getting involved in outdoor activities encourages children to be physically, mentally, and emotionally developed. Making simple changes to the behaviour of the parents will not only decrease the sedentary habits of the parents but will also encourage nature-loving and physical activities within the parents.
These tactics can have a long beneficial effect. There are high chances that children who frequently have outdoor activities will be active throughout their life. The balance fosters health, enhances innovation and develops social etiquette by way of communicative play.
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Okinja Early Learning Centre emphasises a combination of screen time and the exciting outdoor experience as far as the development of children is concerned. The centre we ran offered the perfect environment of a range of activity in the preschool.
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