The Fireplace Showcase Jungle Gyms Are Great For Child Development

23 August 2010      

A great addition to any family home is a jungle gym. The Fireplace Showcase's "Fantasy Jungle Gyms" offer great opportunities for children to gain confidence, increase strength, mobility, and coordination. 

A jungle gym creates the opportunity for children to learn how to make use of the different spirals of the body.  Spirals are muscle movements that are contracted (rotated inwards) or expanded (outward rotation).  Spiral movement maturity is one of the main differences between clumsy youth and the coordinated adult.   Jungle gym play is an efficient classroom to learn spiral development, body balance,  left and right, up and down, and appropriate muscle  tension and relaxation. These are skills the human learns subconsciously from birth.  Depending on how quickly, accurately, and ingrained these subconscious lessons are learned often dictate the difference between the injury free and the injury prone.  

Many of the jungle gym activities involve balance and provide an opportunity for children to master the necessary skills to manage their center of gravity better. By frequently playing on a jungle gym, their movements become more skillful and graceful. They learn to manage the force of gravity and how to use their bodies in a space that has certain limitations and obstacles. As they develop these skills, they gain confidence and learn to trust their bodies, as well as when not to push too far and when to push a little bit further.

Today’s jungle gyms are also safe learning spaces for your children.  Advances in bar spacing, non-slip material, and shock absorbing floors make today’s jungle gym offer little resemblance to the jungle gyms of previous generations. The biggest “risk” of today’s jungle gym is increasing your child’s popularity in the neighborhood and making your back yard  “the place to be”.  I think most of us would gladly accept that “risk”.  We actually offer five different styles of jungle gyms and welcome the opportunity to discuss each of them to you.   Give us a call to learn more.