Day 13/366

The weekends are when i get to sleep in a little longer and Appu is on duty with the girls. Though it does'nt stop me from doing most of the household chores, it just gives me a little more of 'me' time. After breakfast, Appu took the girls to a nearby park. They spend their morning there and got some groceries on their way back home. The weather is getting chilly here and the number of clothes you need to layer on to keep warm keeps increasing. Nevertheless, it was a good change for the girls to just run around freely in the open and see other kids in the park.

There are numerous benefits of taking kids to play outdoors:

1. Physical development: Outdoor play helps children develop their gross motor skills, strength, and coordination. They can engage in activities like running, jumping, climbing, and swinging, which promote healthy growth and physical fitness.

2. Cognitive development: Outdoor play stimulates children's cognitive abilities. Nature offers endless opportunities to explore and discover new things, fostering curiosity, problem-solving skills, and creativity. Outdoor play also enhances their language and communication skills as they interact with others and describe what they see and experience.

3. Emotional well-being: Spending time outdoors promotes emotional well-being in children. It reduces stress, anxiety, and behavioral problems, and improves mood and self-esteem. Nature has a calming effect and helps children relax and unwind.

4. Social development: Outdoor play provides children with opportunities to interact and socialize with their peers. They learn important social skills like sharing, compromising, taking turns, and cooperating. Outdoor play also helps build friendships and create lasting bonds among children.

5. Environmental awareness: Being in nature helps children develop a love and appreciation for the environment. They learn about plants, animals, weather, and the importance of conservation. This fosters a sense of responsibility and a desire to protect and care for nature.

6. Enhanced sensory experiences: Outdoor play stimulates children's senses in ways that indoor play cannot. They can feel the textures of grass, sand, and water, smell the flowers, listen to the birds chirping, and see vibrant colours all around them. These sensory experiences help stimulate their brain development and sensory integration skills.

7. Improved health: Regular outdoor play promotes overall physical health in children. It helps prevent childhood obesity, strengthens their immune system, and reduces the risk of chronic health conditions like diabetes and heart disease. Exposure to sunlight also helps their bodies produce vitamin D, which is essential for bone health.

8. Better focus and attention: Time spent in nature has been found to improve children's ability to concentrate and focus. It reduces mental fatigue and enhances cognitive functioning, which is beneficial for academic performance.

9. Promotes independence and resilience: Outdoor play provides children with opportunities to explore their surroundings and take risks in a controlled environment. It helps them develop independence, resilience, and problem-solving skills. They learn to assess risks and make decisions on their own, boosting their confidence and self-reliance.

10. Enhanced imagination and creativity: Outdoor play encourages children to engage in imaginative and creative play. They can turn sticks into magic wands, stones into treasure, and fallen leavesinto art supplies. The open-ended nature of outdoor play allows children to use their imagination and create their own games and scenarios, fostering creativity and innovation.

Overall, taking kids to play outdoors offers a wide range of benefits for their physical, cognitive, emotional, and social development. It promotes overall well-being, stimulates their senses, enhances their skills, and nurtures a love and respect for the natural world.

After they got home, we had lunch and then watched some television together. As a family, we enjoy watching Malayalam movies (mother tongue). It according to me is one of the best ways to keep the language awareness, apart from us using it at home, as we do not have many friends who speak the language and I would like my girls to know and understand the language.

Before dinner, the four of us played different games together or as a group of two. Apart from Spot-it game and snake and ladder, we also like tic-tac-toe and the join-the-dots game which we play on paper. There are just endless options out there to engage in a family session of games and fun, you just need to find out what works best for you and your little ones. But make sure to spend quality time with family, especially during weekends and you will see how it helps you and your family bond and make everlasting memories. I still have fond memories of playing boggle, card games, Uno and many other with my parents and dear brother. They are one of the best memories of my childhood.

What are yours? Share some of your tips too please. Would love to hear from you.

Hope you are having a great weekend

Love

Ammu