Play Outside!

I always tell my little friends' parents to take their kids to the playground and play.  Play is an essential part of child development and physical activity is an essential component of that. Playing on playground equipment promotes development and provides stimulation in so many ways...

What can playground equipment promote?

• Promotes better range-of-motion for all muscles/joints
• Upper body/arm strength, grip strength
• Eye Hand coordination, bilateral coordination
• Lower extremity strengthening
• Improves overall stability & balance
• Strengthens the core muscle group; this leads to good posture and balance
• Provides cardiovascular exercise
• Promotes motor planning
• Sensory stimulation: proprioceptive (heavy work to the muscles and joints), vestibular (movement of the head in space), tactile input
• Promotes social skills/peer interaction

If you have a child who becomes overstimulated by too many kids/too much activity at the park/playground, search your community parks and rec web sites to find smaller, out of the way parks/playgrounds that are quieter and likely less visited.  Here is a link to a listing of all of the parks in Minot, ND:  http://minotparks.com/parks/

Want other park/rec options in the Minot area that would be a great day trip?  

Try the Velva, ND Park/Pool:  http://velvand.com/?page_id=151

And Stanley, ND: http://www.stanleynd.com/index.asp?SEC=97F877ED-6DFB-4AA5-AD0F-85F00816C047&Type=B_BASIC