Is your children in the process of learning how to write?
Teaching children how to write is one of the most difficult things parents and adults can do.
It’s difficult because the result happens over time, not overnight.
It has to be a continuous effort.
But here’s a tip for parents who don’t want to be frustrated by the task: monkey bars!
You read that right!
Don’t worry, the explanation follows…
While it may sound absurd, monkey bars help with handwriting. Playing on the monkey bars helps develop grip, finger strength, and hand-eye coordination. These are all important in handwriting. So, instead of forcing children to sit down and learn how to write on paper, take them to the playground instead. As soon as they have embraced the mentioned fine motor skills, writing may come naturally.
What You Need To Know About Learning How To Write
A U.S. News article about how children learn to write starts with this:
“Long before children enter a formal education setting, they are developing the skills that lay the foundation for learning to write.”
That’s because one’s writing technique isn’t learned overnight.
It is a process.
People also learn things differently.
Some are fast learners, others are slow, and a bunch are average.
On average, children start doodling on paper at one year old.
Then they learn to create shapes on paper at the age of three during preschool.
You could do a lot during those toddler years to help the child with their handwriting.
According to the organization Raising Children, there are four essential factors in learning:
- Fine motor skills
- Language
- Memory
- Concentration
It’s hard to take children to task: making them sit and learn how to write.
But you don’t have to.
Language, for example, is something children learn every day.
Memory and concentration are something they will pick up with experience through the years.
It’s the same with fine motor skills. However, they are also something you can help your child with.
Fine motor skills is defined as one’s ability to use the small muscles in the hands and wrists.
The great thing is there are several simple activities that children can do that will help develop their fine motor skills:
- Coloring activities
- Playing with blocks and puzzles
- Painting
- Setting the table
- Creating various items using clay
- Using scissors to cut shapes
- Playing on the monkey bars
It’s hard to pin children down and force them to practice writing.
However, if you ask them to create shapes for you using clay or color some books, they would enjoy it.
Even more enjoyable when you make it a fun day out by going to the playground and playing on the monkey bars.
How Does Playing on the Monkey Bars Help Handwriting?
Many may have a hard time understanding the relationship between monkey bars and handwriting.
But it all boils down to fine motor skills.
Monkey bars are among the best school equipment that can help with fine motor skills, that is if the school has it.
First, it’s the grip.
You need to hold on for dear life so as not to fall when you try to cross the whole playground equipment.
Second, you need to develop finger strength in order to grasp the bar.
That finger strength will help in grasping pencils or pens.
Third, the hand-eye coordination.
Before writing becomes second nature to people, one must trace the lines of the paper for writing as well as follow the lines of the letters.
Handwriting Is More Essential in This Age, Too
People have become more reliant on technology.
People barely write anymore.
Those in offices type up everything and just sign papers.
In some cases, signatures are even done digitally.
Many students use laptops and tablets in school.
Because of this reliance on technology, many children may have difficulty learning how to write.
So, it becomes more vital that they have physical activities that will help them develop their fine motor skills.
Tapping on a gadget doesn’t count in developing finger strength.
In this case, even adults will need a go on the monkey bars to improve the possibly forgotten skill of handwriting.
Final Thoughts
Monkey bars provide so many benefits to people, especially children:
- It allows children to be active and fit
- It provides a venue for healthy social interaction
- It helps with cognitive development
- It improves mental health
- It develops fine motor skills
Among those benefits is that it helps handwriting through the development of fine motor skills.
It may be a surprise to some people how playing on the monkey bars could enhance handwriting.
But when you really think about it, monkey bars help improve grip, finger strength, and hand-eye coordination.
These are the very skills needed in handwriting.
But don’t start writing on monkey bars hoping you could hit two birds with one stone, that’s vandalism!