After a couple of days of rain, my boys and I were ready to get outside and get our bodies moving. When I asked them what they wanted to do, they both exclaimed that they wanted to go to the park. So we grabbed our water bottles (see HERE) and some snacks, and we headed off to their favorite park.

We met up with some friends while we were there, and all of the kids had fun running around and playing together. They charged up and down the big hill, they climbed on the play structure, they swung on the swings, they dug in the gravel, and aside for stopping for some water and carrots, pretty much moved for about 2 hours straight.

There was creative play as they made up games. The game that kept them running up and down the hill involved cats, mice, and frogs (yes, frogs – I’m not entirely sure why, except that it’s fun to jump and leap) who had blasted into space and were exploring a new planet. The play area at this park has a rocket ship, so exploring outer space almost always comes into the fun when we’re at this park.

There was a lot of kinesthetic body movement as they ran, jumped, climbed, and swung. Everyone got their hearts pumping and their full bodies in motion. It’s important for kids to move and run; these motions are vital for both their physical and mental development.

As I watch my boys playing at the park, I notice that their movements at the park are often different from the kinds of movement that happen in our yard. While we have a rather big space, running and activities don’t generally take place on as large of a scale when we’re at home. Perhaps that results from the fact that it’s typically my two boys playing without the added energy of two more friends when they’re at home. But whatever the cause, it’s good for them to move across big distances and to be comfortable using their bodies in big ways.

Playing at the park is also a simple solution for parents when their kids are full of energy. To spend time at the park you don’t need to plan in advance, you simply need to pack up and go. And while I spent some of the time running with my boys, and a lot of time pushing my 2-year-old on a swing, I also got to stand outside, enjoy the fresh air, and spend some time letting my own mind wander as I watched my boys roam around the park. It was a great morning for all of us.

Do you regularly take your kids to the park?