It’s hard to believe it has
come to this, but childhood is no longer synonymous with outdoor play.
Children are spending an
average of 45 hours a week in front of a screen – televisions, computers,
computer games. They are not spending time outdoors.
Children know how to build
websites at a very early age, but not necessarily forts or tree houses.
Nature is becoming something on
a television channel, not something in their backyard.
Research has confirmed what our
grandmothers always said: “Go play outside. It’s good for you.”
It turns out that nature is
important to children’s development in every major way —intellectually,
emotionally, socially, and physically.
Playing in nature is especially
important to help children increase their capacities for creativity,
problem-solving, and intellectual development.
For children’s sake, parents
need to be sure they play outdoors at least some of the time.
Leave No Child Inside is the
name of a nationwide movement aiming to do just that, but parental
encouragement is still the best way to reconnect kids with nature.
It’s an easy way to make a
positive difference in children’s development in so many areas. Just send them
outside in a safe area to play. They’ll figure out what to do.
