Many play values support a child’s development

Play values in day-care institutions

Balancing:
Balancing across an obstacle course, for instance, helps develop the young child’s vestibular sense and proprioceptive sense.
Balancing - along with climbing and swinging - also physically strengthens the body and improves the child’s coordination. This play value also challenges children in new and creative ways.

Swinging:
Swinging creates a feeling of freedom. Swinging also helps fine-tune a child’s balance and sense for rhythm and timing.

Rotating:
Controlled rotation is crucial to a child’s vestibular development. Carousels and other rotating equipment are great for children of all ages.

Under/through:
Tunnels and similar types of closed playground equipment help develop spatial awareness (proprioception). Closed playground equipment also provides wonderful and safe places to hide. More cautious children may start by hiding out in a playhouse, while the bolder ones may climb up a tower for an even better hiding place.

Up and over:
To a child, there is something irresistible in climbing/running up and over a wall bar. It makes them feel big! Level jumps in the terrain help train the vestibular sense (balance) and proprioceptive sense. An inclined slope of just 30-40 degrees is enough to create the desired movement.

High up:
Risky play is necessary and helps children learn. By playing high up, the child learns to get a sense of their own limitations and deal with scary feelings. This play value is the best way to help prevent accidents, as children thereby learn how to deal with risk.

See-sawing:
A spring rider (both sitting and standing) teaches children to use their own strength to create a dynamic, strengthening their muscles. This develops the kinesthetic sense (muscle/joint awareness). This type of play is intended for kindergarteners.
A seesaw requires cooperation and is intended for children aged 4-5 or younger children under adult supervision.
The children’s sense of weight and balance develops naturally as they take turns taking off.

Sliding:
The stomach-tickling sensation of speed excites children. The movement is forced in that it cannot be stopped once underway, which is why slides cannot be too tall for kindergarteners.

Jumping:
The development of sensory motor skills takes place through repetition of movements that eventually become ingrained. When children develop movement confident and achieve body control, it provides a boost to their self-esteem and self-confidence.

Climbing:
Climbing strengthens a child’s cross-coordination. This play value develops the connection between the brain hemispheres, which among other things influences
the child’s reading readiness.

Feeling:
The tactile sense is activated through feet, hands and other body parts. When a child plays with sand, steel, etc., they will experience very different physical sensations. This sense is important to stimulate from an early age and is therefore included in all kindergarten playground solutions.