Playgrounds and Mental Health: How Active Play Reduces Stress in Children

Childhood today looks dramatically different from the way kids lived just a few decades ago. Their backpacks are weighed down with textbooks, and their schedules are packed before and after school. This has led to increased stress levels in children of all ages. Sadly, these kids don’t have a lot of opportunities to balance out that stress, which has a ripple effect in other areas of life. That’s why playgrounds can be such a powerful force for good.

Here are just a few ways active play reduces stress in children.

It Releases Endorphins

Stress reduces the levels of happy chemicals in the brain. It decreases serotonin and dopamine. This means that children who would normally be happy, outgoing, and playful may find themselves in a negative headspace, sad, irritable, and even angry. Of course, it’s normal to feel the full range of emotions. But when the happy chemicals are lowered, it’s harder for kids to bring those emotions into balance.

Play, however, does this hard work for them. Active play typically involves physical exertion. It could be kids running, jumping, climbing, or swinging on commercial swing sets. Having regular play breaks throughout the day and especially after school helps kids “reset” their brains. The exercise boosts the happy chemicals, and children then tend to see their moods elevated. They feel less anxious, less stress, and they can see the positive side of difficult situations.

It Regulates Cortisol

What many people don’t realize about stress is that it extends well beyond just being “stressed out.” High levels of stress can lead to brain fog and memory issues, fatigue, and even inflammation in the body, due to rising cortisol levels. So kids aren’t able to focus in class, and they may experience aches and pains unrelated to injury or exertion. They also may feel like they’re in a constant state of defense from a threat.

Plenty of active play can solve most or all of these problems because it reduces stress, which in turn reduces cortisol levels. This means kids see their energy levels rise and their brain fog clear up. They’re better able to focus in class, and they feel more mobile and agile. Wounds heal more quickly, and kids are, interestingly, more capable of handling short-term stresses like tests and conflict.

It Offers a Safe Space

Schedules and schoolwork aren’t the only stressors for kids these days. Many kids also feel overwhelmed and anxious about the human interactions they have to face each day. Bullying has been on the rise, and more kids are simply struggling to be social. This has led to many kids feeling lonely, isolated, and, yes, stressed in a variety of ways. Thus, kids feel the effects of stress on virtually every level, physical, emotional, and mental.

Active play, in whatever form, offers a safe space for kids. It could be on the track, in a field, or on the playground. When kids get their exercise, and they play freely with other children, they generate positive energy for themselves and for their friends and classmates. Isolation is no longer an issue, and social interactions are easier when play is involved. In this way, every kind of stress can be reduced.

Physical Tension Release

Of course, the most obvious way that active play reduces stress is by physically releasing the tension kids build up every day. It’s not just kids who experience physical tension, obviously, but it is kids who may have the most trouble releasing it. After all, they have little control over their schedules. They’re rushed from school to home to extracurriculars. And if one of those activities doesn’t involve physical exertion, kids may never get to release the pent-up stresses of the day.

Physical play offers this very simple benefit: it clears out all the anxiety, worry, anger, sadness, and other stress of each day. Encouraging kids to get out onto the playground or onto a field to move their bodies for an hour or so helps kids work out any issues. They don’t even have to talk to anyone about a lot of their minor daily problems if they can just move through them. Exercise is both a mental break and a moving meditation of sorts.

It Helps Maintain a Healthy Weight

Finally, and perhaps most importantly, physical activity of any kind can help kids maintain a healthy weight. What does this have to do with stress? Interestingly, children with weight problems, including obesity, tend to have higher stress levels. The reverse is also true. Kids with higher stress tend to have more difficulty managing their weight. And kids who are overweight can struggle with obesity related problems like diabetes and heart conditions.

When they increase their physical activity, however, they are less likely to eat junk food and other foods high in fats and sugar. They’re also less likely to overeat because their brains are better at regulating their satiety levels. Those kids are then less likely to become stressed, which in turn means they’re less likely to engage in unhealthy behaviors. So they break an unhealthy cycle on multiple fronts.

In the end, active play reduces all kinds of stress in all kinds of ways. Kids who move more and engage in energized play with others have stronger, healthier bodies and minds. They can resolve conflicts, deal with minor struggles, and focus better in the classroom. They can also make better decisions when it comes to their eating, sleeping, and social interactions. Clearly, it’s beneficial on many levels to encourage children to engage in active play to reduce stress.

Note to the Reader: This article has been created by HT Brand Studio. The information provided is intended solely for informational purposes and does not constitute medical advice or endorsement. Please consult a registered medical practitioner for personalized medical advice or before making any decisions regarding your health conditions or treatment options.