Playground!!
We have some exciting news!! Some of our very generous board members provided a playground for the children! If you have attended any our fundraisers at The Gem Studio this past year, then you helped make this possible! So a big thank you to all of our amazing supporters. The children work so hard in school and being able to see them play and have fun with their new playground is amazing.
Making sure the children are getting physical activity and playtime is important. The American Academy of Pediatrics in a clinical report called, The Power of Play: A Pediatric Role in Enhancing Development in Young Children, show that having time to play with friends and family is extremely important when it comes to building growing brains, bodies and social bonds. They note that all of these skills are key in today’s world, so encouraging play is what all children need. Their research shows that having playtime helps children to plan, organize, get along with others, and regulate emotions. Interestingly, playtime also helps children with language, math and social skills and even cope with stress.
They also note that outdoor play is especially important in letting children use all of their senses and can improve their attention span. At 1Heart1Mind, one of our main goals is to provide vulnerable children with a quality education. We know that letting the children have playtime and physical activity will help them learn and reach their academic goals. Having this outdoor area dedicated to play is just what the children need to learn and thrive.
These children live in rural areas, and the school is also located in a rural area to give children who wouldn’t normally have a chance to get an education. We want to provide the children with a full school experience regardless of its location. We want them to enjoy their time at school both learning and playing. Watching the children laugh and play on the new playground has been incredible. They deserve the world, but we love seeing that simply playing with their friends makes them so happy.
“Play is fundamentally important for learning 21st century skills, such as problem solving, collaboration, and creativity, which require the executive functioning skills that are critical for adult success.” - The Official Journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics.
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