Introduction
Active play or physical activity (PA) is important in the psychosocial, musculoskeletal, and physiological wellbeing and development of a child. The parent, caregiver, teachers, community, government, and the health care personnel have varying roles in assisting children engage in PA. A safe, healthy, and active play environment from the perspective of a pediatrician will encompass practice location, administration and management, and policy. Many pediatricians are aware that active play has several health benefits to children. These benefits relates to positive health results in areas such as depression, decreased feeling of wellbeing, childhood stress, anxiety disorders, and some symptoms of attention deficit disorder. Childhood obesity and other related lifestyle diseases have been attributed to the absence of active and safe play among children. A decrease in active play will mean a possible increase in sedentary living, a factor that links to obesity. The engagement of parent and child in active and safe play will increase the degree of attachment between the child and parent or caregiver. This paper offers policy recommendations based on American Academy of pediatrics to improve safe, healthy, and active play among children. Structured and unstructured PA is important in the overall development of a child.
Educating and training parents and caregivers on the importance of safe, healthy active lay is of outmost priority. The lack of awareness and commitment to policy framework regarding certain health initiatives affects meaningful efforts in addressing issues. Many parents are not aware of lifestyle choices and the consequences that the choices have on children. At their tender ages, they do not have the understanding of the role that activities, outdoor and indoor exercises, and free play have on their overall wellbeing and future adult development. Teaching and training caregivers on best practices for PA has the potential to improve children’s health (Lyn, Maalouf, Evers, Davis, & Griffin, 2013). Training and informing child caregivers gives them the abilities and resources to implement child wellness policies that include PA.
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Active play is essential in the development of a child’s confidence and parent-child bond or attachment. Play time offer children and parents an opportunity to connect emotionally and cognitively (Milteer & Ginsburg, 2012). Active play is critical in developing children’s confidence by introducing them to other children and involving them role-playing. Activities that are part of active play stimulate concentration and thinking. During active play, children learn new skills that they will later apply in life. Playing with parents and other children creates opportunities for the development of social skills. A level of bonding and friendship occurs when children engage in active and safe play. It provides the right environment to make friends. Thus, because it is intertwine to the child cognitive, psychosocial, and motor development, an enforceable policy on active play is significantly appropriates for each child.
Outdoor active play counterchecks nutritional intakes. Another essential recommendation is that of parents, institutions, and communities creating sufficient time for outdoor active play for children. Free and structured play from research findings demonstrate to assist in burning excess fat in the body. So, one of the measures of combating obesity is to encourage outdoor activities (Daniels & Hassink, 2015; Herman et. al, 2012). Prolong sitting watching television or playing video games does not involve whole-body movements. A whole-body movement involves organs, muscles, bones, fluids and engages the mind as well. Long periods of sitting and eating needs to be counterchecked by outdoor active play time. Body control and movement, promotion of healthy growth, are achievable through active play. Children who participate in active play develop coordination ability; improve balance, and develop the musculoskeletal system. Overall, there is a significant development of their gross and fine motor skills.
Active play is a central component of preventive medicine. The cost of health care is rapidly increasing and policies directions on prevention are one of the best approaches towards cost containment. Therefore, it is necessary to recommend active play as a primary care, pediatric prevention of many childhood diseases that have a connection with lifestyles (Sallis, Matuszak, & Baggish, 2016). The promotion of active play in the lives of children has enormous benefits. It is therefore imperative for communities, government, institutions, parents, and caregivers give it more attention. Among the effects of lifestyle choices, disorders include eating disorders, depression, attention disorders, anxiety, and other antisocial behaviors. Active play will expose children to healthy choices and social interactions that will build them mentally and physically.
A healthy future depends on healthy, safe active play. Across the country, there is a wide range of initiatives with a focus on promoting active play among children (The National Physical Activity Plan Alliance (n.d.). this initiatives are an indication of the urgency to address the absence of active play in the country. Awareness is critical to reducing the lack of understanding concerning the importance of active play in a child’s physical, mental, and social development.
Conclusion
Based on the findings above it can be concluded that policy recommendations will be towards; enlightening the location of the need to access, educate, train parents, caregivers, teachers, administrators, using the American Academy of pediatrics recommendations to promote active play among children. Also, parents or caregivers should imbibe the practice or culture of fostering active play with their children by having a daily schedule. The active play should be safe, healthy and engaging for both the child and the adult. Parents should act as role models by initiating free play and structured outdoor play. They should also enforce reduced screen time by allocating active playtime for the children. This involvement in the child’s play life will result in sound mental, social, and musculoskeletal development. Many lifestyle diseases will be prevented as well.
References
Daniels, S.R., Hassink, S.G. (2015). The role of the pediatrician in primary prevention of obesity. Pediatrics.136 (1):e275–e292.
Herman. A., Nelson, B., Teutsch, C., Chung. P. (2012). "Eat Healthy, Stay Active!": a coordinated intervention to improve nutrition and physical activity among Head Start parents, staff, and children. Am J Health Promot. 27 (1): e27-e36. 10.4278/ajhp.110412-QUAN-157.
Lyn, R., Maalouf. J., Evers, S., Davis. J,, Griffin, M. (2013). Nutrition and Physical Activity in Child Care Centers: the Impact of a Wellness Policy Initiative on Environment and Policy Assessment and Observation Outcomes, 2011. Prev Chronic Dis 2013 ;10:120232. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5888/pcd10.120232
Milteer, R.M., Ginsburg, K.R. (2012). The importance of play in promoting healthy child development and maintaining strong parent-child bond: Focus on children in poverty. Pediatrics.129 :e204–e213. [PubMed]
Sallis, R.E., Matuszak, J.M., Baggish, A.L. (2016). Call to action on making physical activity assessment and prescription a medical standard of care. Curr. Sports Med. Rep.15 (3):207–214.
The National Physical Activity Plan Alliance. (n.d.). National Physical Activity Plan. Retrieved from http://www.physicalactivityplan.org/index.html
