Allowing children to throw 'helps develop brain'
Date: 14/01/2010 / Category: Indoor play for schools and groups
Children need to practice throwing things to help develop their brain, it has been claimed.
US parent Gever Tulley, co-wrote a book with his wife Julie Spiegler entitled 50 Dangerous Things (You Should Let Your Children Do), believes children should be allowed to throw rocks.
While many parents may not believe it's a good idea to let their children do this - for obvious safety reasons - Mr Tulley's premise is grounded in exercise for kids' bodies and brains.
Speaking to the San Francisco Chronicle, he explained that without exercise certain parts of the brain, like muscles, tend to atrophy over time.
He explained: "Children need to practice throwing things because it activates the frontal and parietal lobes of the brain, which help with visual acuity, 3D understanding, reasoning and structural problem-solving.
"Throwing is a combination of analytical and physical skills, so it's good for whole-body training."
While parents may not be happy to allow stone-throwing, allowing them to practice their toss in the safety of an indoor soft play centre may be more preferable.
There is also evidence to suggest that throwing is a learned behaviour among primates.
Scientists observing Japanese macaques troops over 30 years, who recently published their findings in the Current Directions in Psychological Science journal, found that infant macaques were likely to learn how to throw more quickly than peers if they participated in throwing earlier on in the lives.
Posted by Lynne Woods
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