Imagine a child who is always playing indoors, most likely, glued to the TV screen whenever it’s playtime?
Won’t this kid have physical development problems?
Vitamin D makes it easy for our body to absorb calcium. If vitamin D level is low in a child, the result is a low calcium level in that child.
But what has this got to do with kids playing outdoors?
You will find out in this post.
Calcium is essential for a healthy bone. With the help of vitamin D, the body can draw in the calcium that it needs for healthy bone and teeth.
Because your child’s bone is still in its formation stage, a lack of these nutrients may cause weakness and pains in their bones.
This kind of condition is called rickets.
Rickets or weak bones occur when you do not allow your child enough time outdoors and for their skin to be exposed to sunlight.
An imbalanced diet can cause low vitamin in a child. But the focus of this post is on another cause, which is lack of adequate exposure to ultraviolet rays — the outdoor opportunity a child gets.
As a parent how often do you allow your child to play outside the house?
What about as a school owner?
Do you have such provision in your school program for pupils to come out and run around often?
Well, you should!
Research has found that children who spend most of their time indoors have a higher risk of having a vitamin D deficiency.
Being a parent means you are responsible for a child’s health. Even a school is also responsible. Providing ample opportunity for kids to play regularly outdoors helps their bone strength and gross motor skill. It helps them take in Vitamin D from sunlight.
80% of the Vitamin D our body needs comes from the sun! Only a little amount is gotten from food. And truly, not many of us can commit to a Vitamin D supplement daily.
So allowing young ones to get it from nature is our best bet.
But how can you tell that your child is Vitamin D deficient?
Here are some pointers to take note of:
Some Signs of Vitamin D Deficiency
If you notice any of these signs you should take your child to see a doctor because it may just be a lack of Vitamin.
- Weak muscles
- Pains in the bones
- Dental issues.
How Does This Happen?
When children don’t take in the right amount of Vitamin D it becomes difficult for their bodies to draw enough calcium from the food—Medical News Today.
Therefore, if a child spends more of their time inside the house, inside the classroom, or uses sunscreen whenever they’re outside, this can prevent them from getting the Vitamin D from the sun, thereby leading to a deficiency.
Kids need to play outside, so the school must provide this opportunity.
This is the era to start ditching the screen and couch time and take your kids outside the house for their well being.
Children spend five days a week in school. Most of them are in school from 8 am to 4 pm. It’s not beneficial to make them sit in the classroom all the time.
In recent times, parents have seen pupils come home with daily communication reports that read “I played indoors with my friends”.
Indoors for five days!? This is completely harmful to kids’ health.
Schools and parents need to change this pattern.
These are many benefits of playing outside.
Benefits Of Outdoor Play
- Outdoor play is a form of exercise that helps kids to be active and stay healthy. Notice when your kids are outside the house, they will run, kick, jump, roll over and even climb if they find the chance. Forget about getting hurt, it’s part of the process
- They build risk-taking skills as they take part in these activities. They know they can fall over, get a scratch or bruise, but they go ahead anyway. For the fun of it. They fall and learn that maybe they didn’t balance properly
- Self-discovery. When outdoors, your kids will discover themselves. They learn what they can do. They build their socio-emotional skills and learn to be team players. When schools and parents let children play in the open field, they help them learn to be independent and understand how others feel
- Health and well-being. When children spend time playing outside, they develop a fitness lifestyle, burn calories that may otherwise lead to weight gain. They become flexible and most of all, take in needed Vitamins.
A 2020 study by Jenna R Chalcraft et al on vitamin D synthesis following a single bout of sun exposure showed that there was an increase in serum D3 when participants of the study were exposed to the outdoor sun. The study says further that “sunlight exposure is still a significant source of vitamin D3 “.
Conclusion
Helping kids come out when it’s play time will help their development and increase their Vitamin D level. While it is understandable that high levels of sun can lead to sunburn, you can also take advantage of the recommended safe hours when kids can be outdoors without sunscreen.
As a school or parent, you need to find where the balance lies. One thing can’t offset the other.
Let’s look for where there is a balance of sun exposure and sun protection for our kid’s sake. And utilize this chance for better bone and teeth development, and a healthy immune system.
Because playing outdoors in the sun helps improve our mood and physical outlook.
Education101today 