{"id":3970,"date":"2022-06-17T03:53:13","date_gmt":"2022-06-17T03:53:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/healthnewscentral.com\/?p=3970"},"modified":"2022-06-17T03:53:13","modified_gmt":"2022-06-17T03:53:13","slug":"boost-the-mental-health-of-children-through-adventurous-play","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/healthnewscentral.com\/boost-the-mental-health-of-children-through-adventurous-play\/","title":{"rendered":"Boost The Mental Health Of Children Through Adventurous Play"},"content":{"rendered":"
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First Five Years<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Childhood is a time for play. This is when they learn about the world around them, how to cope with their emotions, and how they can interact with the rest of the world. It\u2019s such an important time in their lives because this is when they can achieve milestones that teach them coping skills.<\/p>\n

Research found that children who spend more time on adventurous play exhibit lower symptoms of anxiety and depression. In fact, they were the ones who were happier over the first Covid-19 lockdown. This finding had piqued the interest of the researchers.<\/p>\n

A study was made and it was led by the University of Exeter. They asked parents how often their children engaged \u201cthrilling and exciting\u201d play. This was a play that involved evoking mild and healthy feelings of fear and uncertainty from children.<\/p>\n

The study was made in perfect timing because the generation today has had fewer experiences when it comes to adventurous play out that\u2019s done without adults. Not too many children engage in climbing trees, riding bikes, jumping from high surfaces, or just playing somewhere without adult supervision. Hence, the team wanted to test out some theories regarding adventurous play and how it offers learning opportunities for them so that they can learn resilience, which, in turn, helps with their mental health.<\/p>\n

The research was made with the help of the funding from a UKRI Future Leaders Fellowship. The team surveyed almost 2,500 parents of children aged 5-11 years old. They were asked to answer questions regarding their child\u2019s play, general mental health (pre-Covid), and their mood during the first Covid-19 lockdown.<\/p>\n

The research was done by grouping the parents into two: the first 427 of them living in Northern Ireland and the second was 1,919 of them representing the national standards and who lived in Great Britain. The team discovered that children who spend more time playing outside had less \u201cinternalizing problems.\u201d This means that they didn\u2019t go through anxiety and depression. It was that group that exhibited more positive attitudes during the first worldwide lockdown.<\/p>\n

The effects of the lockdown were measured that the findings were relatively small. This was expected considering the given the range of factors that had affected their mental health. Still, the results were impressive because these were consistent even when the team had factored in a wide range of demographic variables such as sex, age, parent employment status, parent mental health, and other items. The study made with the second group also saw that the effect was exacerbated for children that came from lower income families than those who grew up in households that earned more.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re more concerned than ever about children\u2019s mental health, and our findings highlight that we might be able to help protect children\u2019s mental health by ensuring they have plentiful opportunities for adventurous play,\u201d said Helen Dodd. She is a professor of child psychology at the of the University of Exeter. She also led the study. Dodd added, \u201cThis is really positive because play is free, instinctive and rewarding for children, available to everyone, and doesn\u2019t require special skills. We now urgently need to invest in and protect natural spaces, well-designed parks and adventure playgrounds, to support the mental health of our children.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cEvery child needs and deserves opportunities to play. This important research shows that this is even more vital to help children thrive after all they have missed out on during the Covid-19 restrictions,\u201d Dan Paskins, Director of UK Impact at Save the Children, shared.<\/p>\n

\u201cMore play means more happiness and less anxiety and depression. That\u2019s why Save the Children is supporting the Summer of Play campaign which brings together organizations from around the country to pledge their support to enable children to have fun, spend time with friends and enjoy freedom.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThis research emphasizes the importance of adventurous play. Children and young people need freedom and opportunities to encounter challenge and risk in their everyday playful adventures. It is clear from the research findings that playing, taking risks and experiencing excitement outdoors makes a positive contribution to children\u2019s mental health and emotional well-being,\u201d Jacqueline O\u2019Loughlin, Chief Executive of PlayBoard NI, said. She talked about the findings and added, \u201cThe rewards of allowing children to self-regulate and manage challenge in their play are widespread and far-reaching. Adventurous play helps children to build the resilience needed to cope with, and manage stress in challenging circumstances.\u201d<\/p>\n

For parents who want to know more about adventurous play that come for free, the following are some examples:<\/p>\n