If we had to represent childhood in a single image or doodle, many people would think of a boy or girl on a swing , flying light as the wind and discovering that small but liberating sensation of vertigo, of learning, of movement in nature. It continues to be the star of the park and thrills children and their families generation after generation.
The swing is one of those universal, eternal and perfect toys , like the wheel, the book, the broom or the skates: masterful objects that have made history and have been with us for centuries. So much so that there is even a recent work on the swing, published by the essayist Javier Moscoso in Editorial Taurus. “Its uses have carved out a fertile ground between art and life, between ritual and knowledge, between culture and play,” the author highlights.
The origin of the swing dates back to Classical Greece or pre-imperial China, it is present in the works of Goya or Fragonard and converges in the cultural traditions of countries as different as India, Korea or Thailand.
Now that spring has arrived with its warmer, pleasant and brighter days, this article is intended to be an invitation to go to the parks and enjoy the swing, the slide and outdoor play with the children, key to strengthening the immune system. , connect with the rest of living beings -plants, animals and other people-, make new friends, receive all the benefits of sunlight or secrete happiness hormones.
Below you will be able to see what the main benefits of the swing are : from promoting the practice of physical exercise and abandoning the sedentary lifestyle so typical of these times to developing psychomotor skills, strengthening the muscles and above all, feeling happiness and freedom to the maximum, a indelible feeling of a child's memory.
These are all the benefits of the swing for children
- Movement and experimentation : Playing on the swing involves physical activity, experimentation and development of the senses. It helps the little ones to experience the sensation of the body in space, to swing - swinging for babies is a source of security, relaxation and pleasure - and to stay physically active.
- Sensory explosion : the swing is the toy that brings the child closest to the sensation of flying. Various research indicates that balance, rocking, turns and rotations simultaneously stimulate different brain pathways that help the child develop skills such as rhythm, muscle control, body proprioception or spatial awareness.
- Stimulates balance : the swing requires strength, dexterity and coordination of hands, feet and arms, improves body posture and encourages balance. At home or at school these aspects can be worked on with a balance board .
- Helps create social bonds : the swing encourages the exchange of roles, since one child pushes another, they chat, interact with other unknown children, learn to wait their turn and make new friends. Therefore, it is a great element to encourage spontaneous interaction and create a fun, relaxed and communicative environment.
- Reduces stress and anxiety: after a tantrum, a difficult day or several hours sitting at school, swings help reduce anxiety and stress levels, helping to regain calm, and helping them sleep better. As a curiosity, a study published by the University of Geneva (Switzerland) highlights that sleeping in a hammock helps to fix memories and improve memory, since the swing is synchronized with the brain's electrical rhythms.
- Improves confidence and self-esteem : getting on a swing and “flying” allows many children to overcome fears, limitations and insecurities, in addition to working as a team, dying of laughter, breathing fresh air, disconnecting from excessive contact with technology and playing. in a natural environment, cultivating respect for the environment from childhood . Or is there anything more beautiful than watching a sunset from a swing?
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