By Carole Kerr
Have you ever wondered what impact the design of your backyard and the design of your neighbourhood is having on the health of your kids?
Ever-increasingly the urban environment is influencing the way we raise our children, and their development and wellbeing.
It's an important topic of research at The Kids Research Institute Australia and will also be a hot topic of discussion at a free public seminar coming up in mid-August. (further details below)
As backyards become smaller and more emphasis is constantly being placed on how they look rather than what they allow kids to do, health experts are becoming increasingly concerned about the negative effects they have on kid's physical activity levels and their ability to simply run and play.
The same can be said about neighbourhoods and their design. Size and numbers of open spaces, housing density, distances to shops and community centres and even the way roads are laid out can impact on both the ability for kids to be more active and the willingness of parents to let them.
Research being conducted by The Kids Research Institute Australia and the Centre for the Built Environment at UWA is shining the light on how the built environment and in particular play spaces can also have strong influences on how kids and families play, exercise and interact.
One of the studies being conducted by Dr Hayley Christian from The Kids and UWA is currently running a pilot study looking at the physical activity levels of kids in childcare, trying to determine the benefit of incidental play, the size and style of play spaces and what kind of playground equipment works best in improving their activity levels.
"Physical activity is not only about running around at the park or taking part in sport. It's also about how kids interact in many environments, about how they learn and about how their mental and emotional wellbeing also develops. How kids learn this early in life can really impact on their long term." said Dr Christian.
If you would like to learn more about the impact of the built environment has on your kids please join our team of experts at our free public seminar on August 14. It's being held at HBF Stadium (formerly Challenge Stadium).
RSVP either at events@telethonkids.org.au or (08) 489 7777.