兒童遊樂場的重要性 近來，我有機會到芬蘭赫爾辛基探親。最令人印象深刻的事情之一，是無論室外或室內，他們都有著諸多公園與兒童遊樂場。室內遊樂場在芬蘭是必要的，因為一年當中的雪季長達五到六個月。
Recently I had the opportunity to visit family in Helsinki, Finland. One of the most memorable things was how many parks and children playground it has, both outdoors and indoors. Indoor playgrounds are necessary in Finland as the snowy period of the year lasts five to six months.
玩樂可以增進兒童與青少年的認知、身體、社交與情緒幸福感（emotional well-being）。孩子們得以透過遊戲來認識世界與自己。他們可以學著發展語言及溝通技巧，與其他孩子溝通、協商（negotiate），並一起完成不同的任務。對於年幼的孩子來說，非結構化的自由遊戲（unstructured free-play）也格外重要，因為它可以讓孩子們發揮想像力，依照自身的步調（pace），從而探索世界，並在此一過程中認識自己。
Play* improves the cognitive, physical, social, and emotional well-being of children and young adults. Through play, children learn about the world and themselves. They can develop language skills by communicating and negotiating with other children, and they can work with others to accomplish diverse tasks. Unstructured, free play is also essential for younger children because it allows them to use their imagination and explore the world at their own pace, enabling them to better understand themselves in the process.
臺灣也有很多戶外的兒童遊樂場，但夏天時孩子們在外玩耍可能就太熱了。臺灣的百貨公司少有室內遊樂場，也許我們可在室內設置更多的公共遊樂場，甚至是私人遊樂場。畢竟，玩樂是學習與發展的重要部分。室內遊樂場也能為父母提供休息的地方。
In Taiwan, we also have many outdoor children’s playgrounds, but it may be too hot in the summer to play outside. We do have some indoor playgrounds in department stores, but perhaps more public or even private ones could be built. Playing, after all, is integral to learning and development. Indoor playgrounds would also provide parents with a place where they can get some well-deserved rest.
•play (v./n.) 玩，玩耍 : https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english-chinese-traditional/play
參考資料：
https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/articles/how-play-helps-childrens-development https://www.hs.fi/paivanlehti/14052020/art-2000006506225.html https://ninajaminit.vaikuttajamedia.fi/2019/11/06/triplan-hoplop/