Playing outdoors

When the warm weather arrives, children will very much enjoy playgrounds and outdoor play. While they are enjoying themselves, they are exercising and improving their social skills. 

The arrival of warm weather opens up new possibilities for young children to enjoy themselves outdoors. Playing outdoors is a fantastic activity that not only enables children to have a good time but also stimulates their senses, lets them develop their physical skills and helps them get to know others.

There are any number of outdoor games to play, depending on the children's age.

• Under one year, children are not yet walking and are too young to play with other older children. At this age, you can simply take them to the park for a walk in the fresh air or leave them in a safe area where they can play with their toys and observe the world around them.

• Between the ages of one and two, children are more mobile and can start to use age-appropriate swings. The number of playgrounds with swings with back support and a strapping system and safer slides is growing all the time. Children also love sandpits and can make small castles or different shapes with special sand moulds.

Parks are not only fun but also stimulate motor skills and develop a child's senses of touch, hearing and sight. You can also bring along some toys and leave them on a rug on the ground. Your child can play with them as he would at home, while enjoying the fresh air and the warm weather and potentially getting to meet more children his age. At the age of two, children still have difficulty sharing toys but you can gradually teach them how.

It is important to watch your child at all times to prevent accidents. Some parks are not as safe as they should be and there is always the chance of coming across broken glass or cigarette butts.

By the age of three children can walk, run and climb, increasing the options for outdoor play. Ball games, swings, obstacle courses, chasey and games with water pistols in summer are great fun, help develop relationships with other children and strengthen their motor skills.