The human being is moved by motivation, which happens from childhood, responding early to acquire knowledge, learn and develop, gain recognition, or avoid discomfort. The child also seeks the satisfaction of his internal needs for security, love, and development, as well as avoiding disagreements. Perform activities, achieve goals, meet objectives, complete stages, everything goes hand in hand with motivation. Below are some tips for motivating a child’s behavior through the playground.
Knowledge as motivation
As has been mentioned on previous occasions, the playgrounds offer a means of learning for children, where they can learn about nature, shapes, colors, history (as is the case of the First Nation Playground), and even music. Going to the playgrounds in itself is a reward for the moments of fun and relaxation that they offer, but they also serve as motivation to reinforce the knowledge acquired in the classroom in a fun way.
Encourage physical exercise
The playgrounds have different elements that carry out physical exercise without the child directly thinking that she is training. This is a positive point since, in some cases, some children do not like to do sports or outdoor activities. Taking the child to the playground for a fun afternoon of games can motivate him to perform physical activities and arouse his interest in other sports, which help maintain his physical condition in perfect condition.
Love and recognition
It is essential to support the child when they exceed their limits; for example, when she loses her fear of climbing alone on a slide or when she reaches the highest level on a rope structure, leaving behind her fear of heights. As parents, it is essential to let the child know that he has done an excellent job, that we are proud of him, and that you recognize the effort made.
Good role models
Children develop part of their emotional and intellectual abilities through observation and imitation, and in the first place, from their parents and siblings as main role models, as well as from other close people with whom they can relate. The school and the playgrounds are the most frequent places where children can observe and take as a reference the behavior of their parents and peers. For this reason, parents must show good role models, behaving with respect and calm so that the child can take this as a reference and repeat them in similar situations.
Another point we must consider is that if we want our children to do physical activities and play in open spaces such as a playground, it is important to teach with examples. If the child sees that the parents do not perform physical activities, have a sedentary life, eat junk food, and are connected to their mobile devices all day, then, most likely, the child will imitate those bad habits.
Beware of fake rewards
Many parents make the mistake of giving their children unhealthy rewards when they have done something positive. An example of this is giving him a treat or buying him a toy every time he does something right. The problem is that these actions create bad habits in the future, where the adult will need to eat something sweet (or buy something) to feel good or rewarded. A healthy alternative to this behavior is to give prizes involving activities with our child. An example of this is taking our child to the playground, where they can spend several moments with their parents (for example, on the way back to the playground), exercising, and playing with other children (in the same playground).
Do you know other tips to motivate our children to use a playground?
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