We’ve previously discussed the importance of children playing outside and how a playset in your backyard can help to develop strength, balance and coordination in growing kids. But have you ever stopped to think about how a swingset or playhouse can also help grow a child’s social, critical thinking, and emotional skills? A backyard play space that includes different swing set accessories can be a great kick-start to pretend play in children. Pretend play is credited with helping children enhance their:
- social skills, including communication, compassion, and empathy
- problem solving skills
- imagination and curiosity
- self-control
- language skills
If you have a playset in your backyard, you can enhance the play experience even more when you add a variety of accessories
Let Imaginations Run Wild
On most playsets, simple plastic accessories like a captain’s wheel / steering wheel and a periscope are sold as standard. While they are good toys for starting pretend play, they don’t always offer a very realistic experience.
When you’re purchasing a playset for your home, look for add-ons that are a step above the usual. For example, being the lookout for your backyard castle is a lot more fun with a real set of binoculars or a real telescope. And, imagine a summer time game of flashlight tag when you’re using a working spotlight from high atop the playset tower.
Scale Great Heights
Pirates, explorers, and ninja warriors come to life when you add a few extras to your backyard. Introducing playset accessories like a cargo net or rock climbing wall opens up children’s imaginations to adventures like scaling the side of an enemy fort, climbing mountain sides, or sword fights on a pirate ship plank.
Ramps, ropes and climbers are also the perfect addition for creating backyard obstacle courses. Now your children are exercising their muscles and their minds as they build strength and endurance, while they race to beat their competition, both real and imagined.
A Place of Their Own
No Adults Allowed! Don’t be surprised if you see a few of these signs popping up when you add a play house to your children’s swing set. Inside a perfectly child-sized playhouse, kids can form top-secret clubs, play family, set-up a classroom, or operate a lemonade stand.
Swing Kingdom playhouses are crafted to be as realistic as possible and can be designed to match the styling of your family home. They are built with premium vinyl, weather wood shingles, windows with screens, and a decorative front door, making pretend play more realistic than ever.
Escape the Summer Heat
What’s better than spending summer days swinging and sliding? Turning your playset into your very own water park or rushing rapids! By adding a water slide adaptor to your avalanche, tunnel, or turbo slide, your family can slip and slide into fun and beat the summer heat. If you want a wetter and wilder experience, install a water cannon to your playset to amp up the summer time fun.
When you go above and beyond the standard playset accessories, you’ll give your children the opportunity to lose themselves inside their creative pretend play.
