Rustics Jungle Gyms, designing, building & installing quality Jungle Gyms specifically for the South African environment since 2006 |
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Welcome to our latest newsletter. What a crazy year this has been. The Rustics Jungle Gyms crew has been back out on the road building Jungle Gyms country-wide for a couple of months and we're happy to report that our COVID-19 protocols are successfully keeping everyone safe. Thank you to all our customers for your support. Adults and children alike have taken strain this year with more time spent at home together than ever before. In our feature article we explain how too much screen time and not enough physical activity are not good for anybody. Maybe this is the year to treat yourselves - buy a jungle gym for the benefit of the whole family and get outside. Happy reading! |
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The battle between nature and screens |
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One study by Common Sense Media found that today's children are subject to 10 times the amount of mobile screen time than in 2011. |
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In the battle between nature and gadgets, the latter wins the majority of the time. Attention grabbing games are designed to keep children wanting more; parents find it an easier and cleaner way to entertain their children so they can get on with their own tasks. Its not easy to be a parent under these circumstances but it is your role to look after the well-being of your children until they are old enough to do so for themselves. You wouldn’t dream of letting your child eat chocolate cake and ice cream all day. Use of technology falls into the same category - its just not healthy! As a parent, you need to teach your child a healthy balance between physical activity and playing with screens. |
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There are consequences of taking the easy way out. Children as young as 8 are consulting chiropractors with neck and shoulder issues normally associated with adults who spend all day hunched over a keyboard and cell phones and play games in the evenings. When this happens hour after hour, day after day the neck and shoulders start to ache, develop pinched nerves, or even become numb from a lack of circulation and movement. Children who don’t move are at risk of becoming obese which brings a whole host of health hazards including heart disease, type 2 diabetes, sleep apnea, social anxiety and asthma. |
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We need to teach our children that screens only mimic real life and that real life is much more enjoyable when it is experienced, not merely looked at. Recommended Screen Time Aged 4 and 8 - 1 hour per day Older than 8 - two hours per day |
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Show them that you're having fun outside too! |
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When is the last time you allowed yourself to play? Generally, somewhere between childhood and adulthood, we stop playing. But why? Play can add joy to life, relieve stress, supercharge learning, and connect you to others and the world around you. Why should children be the only ones to benefit? |
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Follow this link to read more about how play can: - Relieve stress
- Improve brain function
- Stimulate the mind and boost creativity
- Improve relationships
- Keep you feeling young and energetic
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“We don’t stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing.” George Bernard Shaw |
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The authors make suggestions on how to rekindle play in your life, how play improves the quality of your love relationships—as well as your connections with co-workers, family members, and friends and, more interestingly, how play can boost productivity and innovation in your work environment. Invest in a jungle gym to create outdoor 'play' opportunities for your whole family |
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Children are influenced by the lifestyle of their parents. You can use your family jungle gym to create an exercise regime for the whole family and create positive habits that your children will practise throughout their lifetime. Check out this video by Redefining Strength to get some ideas of how to use your jungle gym equipment to get a great full-body workout. Every playground is different, but these moves should help inspire you and provide you with ideas about how to use swings, slides, monkey bars and ladders to design a workout to suit your needs. | | |
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If you would like further information on our outdoor playground equipment, give us a call on 043 748 5880 or drop us an email |
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