Rustics Jungle Gyms, designing, building & installing quality Jungle Gyms specifically for the South African environment since 2006 |
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Welcome to our first newsletter of 2021. We hope that you are feeling positive and are ready to grab all opportunities that a new year presents. Here at Rustics, we are rested and ready to service your jungle gym design and manufacture needs. 2020 was tough and the COVID-19 pandemic challenged us all in so many ways that we thought we’d start 2021 off on a positive note with a proven BENEFIT of COVID-19. Read how research has shown that families are realising the benefits of more play time together. Want some ideas of games to play safely outside? We suggest 15 games – some adaptations of old traditional games and a few new ones to get your ideas flowing.
Happy reading! |
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A Benefit of the Pandemic – Really? |
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Can there really be some benefits of the pandemic? Well yes! We have been forced to spend more time together as family units and this has had a direct impact on the time we spend playing with our children. The reasons for the 71% reduction in playtime vary from the overfilling of children’s time with structured, organised activities like homework and afterschool clubs to build a resume to impress universities and employers, to parents working longer hours and having less time available to supervise outdoor play. |
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But in 2020 all this changed. As part of the 2020 International Play Equipment Manufacturers Association (IPEMA) Voice of Play survey, US researchers asked 1000 diverse parents questions about the impact of the pandemic on their play habits. 60 percent of parents said they are playing together as a family more than before the pandemic. Even better, 94 percent of those families are playing outdoors! When asked about the benefits of playing together as a family. They said: - Improves connection with others (67%)
- Reduces Stress (65%)
- Encourages Creativity (55%
- Teaches cooperation (51%)
- Creates a foundation for lifelong fitness (49%)
- Deepens a sense of belonging (48%)
Read more survey results here https://voiceofplay.org/ |
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Who wouldn’t want those benefits for their family members? Invest in a jungle gym to create more outdoor play opportunities for your whole family |
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Ideas for socially-distanced games for outside play |
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Over the course of our previous newsletters (read them here), we have demonstrated that play isn’t just a source of fun for elementary school children, they develop a whole host of skills through outdoor play. It helps them regulate behaviour, develop core social skills, and maintain their physical and emotional well-being. Gross motor exercises prompt the release of endorphins into the bloodstream, which helps to improve and regulate moods. |
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That's why it's so important we create opportunities for children to play safely. To help, we found this Twinkl blog post which contains suggestions and resources for 15 social distancing games you can play outside. It includes: - Traditional games like Hopscotch, Hoola Hoop, Simon Says, I Spy, skipping and Hide and Go Seek (Did you know that there is an official hide and seek world championship? It’s held in Bergamo, Italy, every year and people travel from all around the world to compete. Maybe there's a future hide and go seek world champion in your midst!),
- Suggestions on how to change up other old games like Charades, Scavenger Hunt, I spy, and Tag (using a pool noodle).
- Games using Sidewalk Chalk for example, snakes and ladders, follow the line, checkers, tic-tac-toe, hangman and bean bag bullseye. They also have ideas for outdoor lessons using sidewalk chalk including a multiplication ladder that kids can only climb by solving times tables problems.
- Less traditional games such as Footgolf, Dance Battle and Bubble Float.
Why not let children use their creativity to invent their own social distancing games? You will be amazed by their imagination and how much fun they will have putting their ideas into practice. There's no better way to teach the communication, persuasion and negotiation skills they will need to make this happen! |
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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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