Unless more suitable outdoor play opportunities are provided for children and young people, a physical and mental illness time bomb is likely to explode, experts warn. Studies have also shown that cutting spending on outdoor spaces and society encourages physical idleness, obesity which is becoming an epidemic. Young people now face heart problems, diabetes and other diseases because of their sedentary lifestyles. Professor Lamine Mahdjoubi, from the University of the West of England, who was a one-time chairman of an international conference in Bristol, in England, laments: Sedentary lifestyle has put children at risk of premature death, confronting the (NHS) with a rocketing bill.” In view of this, SplashWorld, a premiere water parks and leisure resort has flagged off services pledging to help Nigerian families to tackle sedentary lifestyle, provide fun, wellness and boost intellectual alertness of their children during this Easter.
Announcing a special Easter Splash especially for children, Olusola Oyelade, Director, InVcapCorporation, initiators of SplashWorld, observes, children need certain amounts of contact with natural spaces and natural features within their daily lives as this plays key role in child development and education. According to Oyelade, the goal of SplashWorld is not only to facilitate outdoor play as a way of tackling a perceived increase in sedentary lifestyles and contemporary health problems but, also as a way of ‘reconnecting’ children with nature. His words: “Research has detailed that access to greenspace brings general health benefits and that, in particular, there is a link between use of the outdoors and increased levels of physical activity.
Physical activity has been linked to tackling contemporary health problems, such as obesity, but exercise in the outdoors has been shown to be beneficial also because it facilitates contact with nature. “It is generally reported that being outdoors contributes to higher levels of wellbeing – bringing physiological benefits such as stress reduction.” Corroborating research findings, Oyelade, who is also Chairman, Casa Consult Ltd, architecture, design, build, project development and management firm notes that outdoor environment can be more than a place to burn off steam. He says this is particularly so as more educators and architects and designers are embracing the ideas that outdoor play space provides chances for the highest level of development and learning. “When used best, it can be a place for investigation, exploration and social interaction.”