Rough weather is a great time to explore rough and tumble play.
Cold, dark weather can really dampen your parenting. Children still need challenges and a way to use their large motor skills, even when playgrounds are drenched and dreary. One activity that can be done inside that is intensive, challenging, and requires large amounts of movement is Rough and Tumble play.
What is it
Rough and tumble play looks many different ways. Whether it’s flipping, twisting, thumping, or bumping, children get to raise their heart rates and explore. Often children love being upside down, pushing hard against others’ bodies, wiggling, jiggling, tickling, giggling, getting squished, squashing others, exaggerated jumping, twirling, whacking, and an unimaginable amount of possibilities. The exploration of finding what fits your child and your needs is one of the many benefits.
The benefit
Rough and tumble play is loaded with great learning opportunities that clearly benefit children.
Such as…
Its risky.
Children get to explore what feels safe to them and push on that boundary in a safe way with a loved one there to support them. Often rough and tumble does get too stimulating and feels too risky for children, they get to learn to communicate what is ok for them, and how to recover when things go a bit too far. (Clearly adults have the responsibility to keep everyone safe for any lasting harm, no hyperextension from arm bars etc.)
Its creative
Rough and Tumble play often involves using bodies in new and creative ways. It is a safe place to try new things in a silly way. Creativity in large motor movements can be freeing because it’s an expression that doesn’t need to travel through language centers of the brain.
Its teaches limits
A Key component of Rough and Tumble is respecting limits. When a child says stop, you stop, and when a parent says “stop” the child stops. These limits are central to what makes it safe and help set up a foundation of body autonomy. It’s empowering to know that one word can establish how others interact with one’s body.
It’s great for brains and nervous systems
Children benefit from Vestibular Play. Moving their body in ways that move their little ear crystals helps them make sense of the world. Children often crave the movement they are ‘working on’ and will ask for the same movement again and again.
The benefits of Rough tumble is often organically brought up during our parenting groups Our group curriculum is a combination of topics that are key to child development and the needs and ideas of families. Rough and Tumble play comes up in Our First Three Years parenting groups during our discussion of parenting styles. It also tends to be part of group brainstorming around resiliency building (selfcare) activities you can do as a family that are little to no cost.
Rough n tumble can look lots of different ways and it has tons of benefits. Families often talk about how much they appreciate rough and tumble in our groups and share their favorite ways to play together. How do you like to rough and tumble play?