Our children growing up require us to provide them with things that will help them learn and develop their skills. This is where wooden toys, blocks and other non-digital play for kids would take part of the role. But seeing our kids today, holding those electrical devices, cellular phones, computers, tablets and other more have more negative effects on them rather than to help them hone and harness their talents.
A non-digital play for kids involves classic toys and accessories that do not involve any electronics. It is advised by experts to have your kids play with this type of toys or plays rather than to find them all day playing video games. Non-digital play also refers to healthy activities such as riding back, hide-and-seek, arts and crafts and more. It usually helps your child talk and socialize with other kids, keep their motor running, sharpen their mind, give them some bodily exercise and other positive and helpful stuffs.
Benefits of Non-Digital Play for Kids
Everywhere you look there’s a technological device at play. Nowadays kids and adults alike are often glued to either a mobile phone, laptops other some other gadget like it’s the only thing that matters.
Nowadays it is not uncommon to see kids as young as 5 years old playing with a smart phone or iPad. Even though medical practitioners constantly emphasize the negative effect prolonged usage of electronics can have on kids, most young children are unable to comprehend the message and regulate their usage. As such it is important for you as a responsible parent to limit usage of electronics and encourage non-digital play for your children, this kind of play has a lot of positive benefits for kids some of which we’ll discuss below.
Without further ado, here are some benefits of encouraging non-digital play for kids:
Non-Digital Play Can Improve Physical Wellbeing
Simply encouraging your child to play outdoors can improve their physical well-being. In fact, research has proven that increasing time kids spend outdoor reduces the chances of developing nearsightedness (myopia). In addition to that, by consistently engaging in non-digital play kids can remain physically healthy and fit.
Outdoor play can come in a variety of forms; Young kids may enjoy riding around on tricycles while older kids might enjoy the freedom riding a scooter provides.
Playing outdoor also promotes inquisitiveness and curiosity in kids. By spending time outdoor kids get to learn more about their surroundings and nature.
Non-Digital Toys Encourages Social Interactions
A common form of non-digital play is a board or card game. Popular board games such as Monopoly, Risk, Cluedo, Game of Life, Dix It usually require more than 1 player to play. By participating in the game, your child can improve their social interaction and perhaps forge good relationships with other kids playing the game.
An example would be Dix It, a board game which one player has to create a phrase or short story of an image and the other players have to guess which card is the correct card. By working with peers’ kids can learn valuable lessons about interacting with others and building relationships. This lessons can be used as building blocks as they grow older allowing them a better social life in the future.
Non-Digital Games Promotes Creativity
Children are inherently creative, ask any parent who has had to clean paint marks off the floor and wall. Toys like dolls, building toys, musical toys, train sets have been known to help develop creativity in kids. Instead of giving your child another electronic toy that’ll they mindless play with consider giving them non-digital toys and encourage them to explore their creativity.
Kids Can Learn Important Life Skills from Non-Digital Play
Important life skills such as negotiating, patience, making prediction and planning are skills that can be learned from so-called “old school” games. Take Monopoly for example, in Monopoly players have to negotiate with one another for items like property and land. This long drawn out process teaches children about patience and even if they do end up losing the game your child learns how to lose gracefully and how to bounce back after losing.
Non-Digital Play Promotes Inclusion
A big selling point of non-digital games is that they are not restrictive, everyone can partake regardless of ages, abilities, genders, ethnicity. In this age where even family members living together communicate via electronic means, non-digital games provide a means for family members to come together and have fun.
For instance, it’s Thanksgiving and everyone has gathered at your house, you can simply organize a game of scrabble among family members to pass time. It can even be turned into an annual tradition and then it becomes something that everyone looks forward to which can help improve the bond you have not just with your kids but perhaps your cousins and other relatives.
Even though most game nowadays have been adapted to an electronic form there is still a certain glamour one gets when there is physical interaction with the game.
In conclusion, there are many advantages for you to promote and encourage non-digital play to your kids.
Non-digital play can be done with different types of ride on toys, board games, or a simple game of tag; a personal favorite is good trick scooters – loads of fun!! It is up to you as a parent to find which type of toy your child is most interested in and find innovative ways to get them involved in this kind of play.
