AMUSEMENT AND LEISURE INDUSTRIES OR INDOOR PLAYGROUND SECTOR
Amusement centres include indoor play centres, amusement machine centres, mini-golf centres, go-kart venues and similar operations. At the end of June 2001, there were 288 businesses operating amusement centres in 384 locations. Most operations (236) were carried out at in capital cities and suburbs. Of the 384 locations, more than a third (138) were amusement machine centres. The amusement centres employed 2,793 people, the majority (61%) working on a casual basis. Total income recorded for 2000-01 was $137 million, of which more than half ($73 million) was received as takings from coin operated amusement machines. Other major income sources were playing fees/admissions ($42 million) and sales of goods ($17 million) (Year Book Australia, 2006)
Kids indoor play centre is a fast growing sector. Besides having a good time, there are many benefits to children to be involved in active play. Studies have shown that it is also a major factor in the appropriate mental, social, emotional and physical development of children. When children are engaged in play, they are presented with various situations, interactions and challenges. (Cabin fever, Children’s recreation centre business plan, 2016).
Studies show that children today are less active and less fit than they were five years ago, probably due to a marked increase in the time they spent in front of television, on video games and consuming high calorie-high fat
For the theme park industry on the Gold Coast this low level of power held by the roller-coaster suppliers means that any of the theme parks will be able to discuss their needs with a number of manufacturers due to the large number available to choose from and due to the suppliers reliance on the theme park industry to sell their products, prices will be reasonable which will also be helped by the fact that there is large competition between the suppliers due to their numbers.
In the precedent few years, Type 2 diabetes has risen radically among children and adolescents. Experts consider this increase is due to the high rate of overweight and obesity (Cutting TM, Fisher JO, Grimm-Thomas K, Birch LL1999). One of the core reasons of children obesity is watching television. Technology is a vast accessory that millions of people use commonly in daily life. Television could be the most-used technological product of all. Millions of people now have as a minimum one television in their home. Though television seems like an immense thing to have, it has its disadvantages. Television can pessimistically influence people, mainly kids. A number of observational studies have originated an association between television watching and child and adolescent obesity. Moreover, it is recognized that American children spend more time watching television and playing video games than doing something else apart from sleeping. Researchers conducted a randomized, controlled test to assess the effects of reducing television, videotape, and video game use on changes in adiposity, physical activity, and dietary intake (Fisher JO, Birch LL. 1995). “The previous twenty five years have caused such a spectacular increase in childhood obesity. Technology, overeating and lack of physical activity can all contribute to obesity”. Birch LL, Fisher JO. Development of eating behaviors among children and adolescents. Pediatr
Play is essential to every part of children’s lives and is important to their development. It provides the children with different ways of doing things children will want to explore and learn new things.
“Current theories about inclusive play revolve around the idea that play is important for life and that all play workers should be committed to creating play environments that are inclusive and that offer multi-sensory experiences for all children. Play environments should ensure children and young people can become involved in imaginary play and can help develop motor activity. They should also allow interaction in a safe environment. Play is seen as the language that can bring children of all different abilities together. All children and young people have the same basic needs and go through the same development stages, even though they may not all go through them at the same pace: some go through some stages more quickly than most, while others may become static in their development for a while. None of this should prevent access to any setting. Through play with other children they develop social skills and learn about behaviour, communication and friendship. Play is the tool for practical learning
The practitioner in an early years setting supporting children’s play learning and development is extremely important, as play helps stimulate the child’s brain, supports their needs on an educational level, as well as helping them with social difficulties such as building relationships, developing them and helping them gain confidence. Many people believe that a child learns best when they are motivated, such as Fredrich Froebel. He believed that children benefitted from all types of play. The McMillan sisters believed that outdoor play was extra important as they studied children who played and slept outside and discovered that they were the happier and healthier children in comparison to those who only played inside.
Children now spend more than seven and a half hours a day in front of a screen whether it be a television, computer, smartphone, or playing video games (cite). No I didn’t stutter, no I’m not exaggerating, seven and a half hours a day, can you believe that? As sad as it is, I’m unfortunately not surprised. Society continues to rapidly evolve as we continue to become consumed by technology and the latest iphone. I’m not going to lie, I do love my iphone and I fall guilty to spending more time than I would like on my phone, watching tv, or on my laptop. Obesity is a serious problem in the United States, more than 80% of adults do not meet the guidelines for both aerobic and muscle strengthening activities, and more than 80% of adolescents do not do enough aerobic physical activity to meet the guidelines for youth. (cite) This is an interesting piece of information. Most likely parents who do not exercise, do not motivate their children to exercise either. That’s why the percentages for adults and adolescents are so similar. Our youth need to be guided in the right direction, so we have a healthier world for future generations to come. Children are easily influenced so it is extremely important that we instill in their young minds the importance of exercise and being physically active. If children see their parents on their phones for hours on end, watching tv or
In today’s society, technology has played a big role in everyone’s lives and has taken over. Kids today stay inside and play on the computer, watch TV, play video games, or mess with tablets and smartphones. Several people find other, more entertaining things to do than play outside and be active. Some of the times, physical education in schools is the only physical activity students have on a daily basis (“Obesity”). Kids and teenagers would much rather be wrapped up in a social network than going for a job or going to the gym. Back in the day, playing outside was one of the few entertainments. Parents have no discipline and let their children do what they want to their bodies. Technology has caused people to be less active and not as self-controlled causing them to be obese or overweight later in life.
Play contributes to children’s “physical, emotional and social well-being” (Else, 2009, p.8) and through play, the child’s holistic development and well-being is being constantly accounted for as is it led by the individual. The child decides what s/he wants to do and does it; it is
Childhood’s physical inactivity and obesity have been the major health issues in Canada with significant evidence in the rise of childhood obesity and high level of inactive in recent years (Tremblay et al., 2010). The majority of Canadian children do not attain the recommended amount of physical activity for their age (Deraspe, 2012). Today’s Canadian children are ‘weaker’, ‘fatter’, ‘heavier’, and ‘taller’ than they were decades ago (Tremblay et al., 2010). The causes of physical inactivity are numerous, including environmental and social factors, and practices in schools (Downs, 2005). The consequences of physical inactivity are associated with several chronic disease
Another environmental cause of childhood obesity is the lack of physical activity. The problem is that physical activity has been replaced by video games, television, social networking and other technology. (Child Obesity Statistics) “It’s proven that children who watch the most hours of television have the highest incidence of obesity.” (Hosten) The American Heart Association they recommend “all children age 2 and older should participate in at least 60 minutes of enjoyable, moderate-intensity physical activities every day.” They also recommend “if your child or children don't have a full 60-minute activity break each day, try to provide at
In this case there has been a recognition of a trend, which is the trend of people going to theme parks during the weekends for entertainment of them as well as their children. Also here is an existing need for entertainment of this kind. Therefore, an opportunity exists
For years, Americans have been told that exercising and staying active is imperative to maintaining a healthy lifestyle. In general, this fact holds true for all generations and age groups, including the youth of today. Children simply need to exercise and participate in more physical activities in order to maintain a high level of health. The Center for Health and Health Care in Schools suggests that, “one of the leading causes of this epidemic (childhood obesity) is a marked decline in physical activity and athletic participation” (“Athletics in Schools”). Childhood fascinations with watching television, playing video games, and browsing the internet are just a few of the sedentary hobbies taking over children’s free time to be active. Therefore, mandating physical activities in schools across the country will effectively reduce the frequency of this major, obesity health crisis in young students. Understandably, a plethora of factors cause and influence children to become overweight and obese, but working to fix each evident problem will, in the end, contribute to finally ending the developing childhood health crisis.
Perhaps the most damaging health habit kids today have is their complete and total lack of exercise. Children today are more inclined to a sedentary behavior. Movies, television, the Internet, etc. are all magnets for kids, and while these mediums of entertainment aren’t altogether “evil” they can breed docile attitudes. If too much time is spent watching
375 million; the number of approximately how many people, from all over the world, flock to amusement parks in the United States every year (IAAPA). Why do so many people go? What makes amusement parks so popular and desirable? The first glimpse of a modern amusement park was created in England during the year of 1133 and was called the Bartholomew Fair. Over time the idea of large places of public entertainment has evolved into the 2,100 immensely popular parks in the world today, 400 which being in the U.S. (IAAPA). These fairs, parks, and carnivals have turned into an international phenomenon, drawing in millions of attenders, and the cause of countless children’s’ begging tears and cries of excitement. They have become a childhood staple, one that many adults and senior citizens admire and repeatedly come back to relive and show to their own children. But why? Why do they have such an impact on society? Amusement parks are a way to escape the troubles of reality by allowing people to enter a child-like state of utter joy.
In today’s society children are increasingly becoming less active. Lack of physical activity in childhood leads to obesity, can increase one’s risk for diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, asthma, arthritis, and poor health status. Physical inactivity also increases one’s risk for dying prematurely, dying of heart disease, and colon cancer. Technology and video games have become a major factor in this and have seemed to take over and control lives of many children. Less children are involved with sports and few play outside. The lack of physical activity as a child, can pay huge dividends in the child’s health, into his/her adulthood.