“Passion is lifted from the earth itself by the muddy hands of the young; it travels along grass-stained sleeves to the heart. If we are going to save environmentalism and the environment, we must also save an endangered indicator species: the child in nature.” – Richard Louv 

It can be tricky to entice kids away from their screens to play outside, especially in the cooler months, however the benefits of spending time outdoors and playing in nature are considerable. In this article we’ll explore the benefits of outdoor play and provide four simple ways to encourage your children to ditch the screen and enjoy spending time outdoors. 

From engaging outdoor games to creative nature-based activities, these suggestions will help you foster a love for the outdoors in your children, making screen-free time enjoyable and memorable.

Kids are Spending Less Time Outside

There’s no question that, in general, this generation of children are spending less time outside than generations previously. 

A 2018 study conducted by the National Trust found that children are spending four hours outside each week, which represents 50% less the amount of time their parents spent outdoors when they were children.

Why Children Need to Spend Time Outside

But do your kids really need to spend time outside…does it really matter? Yes, it really does! Here are a few reason why…

Sunshine Is Good For Us

Our bodies need the sun. Studies have shown that the bones of children cannot develop properly if they are deficient in Vitamin D, which we get from the sun. Vitamin D is also crucial for our immune systems to function properly and for us to get high quality sleep.

Developing Motor Skills

The more time children spend outside the more time and experience they will have to practice their advanced motor skills, such as balancing, coordination, and so on. That’s because when our kids get outside, they do things that they don’t really get to do indoors, such as running, playing, or moving in such a way that challenges their muscles and their bones. 

Think back to when you were a child. You probably spent a lot of time riding bikes, climbing trees, running around while playing games such as hide and seek, kicking footballs, climbing up and under fences, and so on. You can’t do this stuff inside!

Improved Creativity

When kids spend time playing inside it’s not just good for their physical motor skills; it’s also good for their mental creativity! That’s because when kids are playing outside doing fun things, they also need to develop the mental coordination skills to plan and prioritize their movements. 

In other words, kids will have to think just as much as they move, which helps create structure and coordination as they go about their daily lives.

Confidence

When children develop their motor skills and improve their creativity skills, confidence will naturally develop. Confidence is good because children need to learn how they can develop the courage to take on the inevitable challenges that come with life. 

It’s only natural to assume that a child who spends most of his or her time indoors will be less confident to try new things than a child who spends more time outside playing with other children, right? That’s because kids who are spending time outside are trying new things and embarking on new adventures all the time.

How To Encourage Your Kids To Get Outside

Rather than forcing your children to spend more time outdoors, a far more effective way is to incentivize them to get outside on their own. 

After all, you don’t want to be locked in a perpetual battle with them. You want to get to where your kids going outside is something they do on their own regularly!

With that in mind, here are some of the strategies that might work in your home: 

Create a Fun Filled Backyard

Is your backyard an enticing space for kids to play, explore and have fun? If not it might be worth spending a bit of time creating an outdoor space which encourage kids to step outside (& away from the alluring temptations of their devices).

You don’t need to spend a fortune to do this, and the things you focus on could vary depending on the age of your children. Young children love sand and water sensory play areas, mud kitchens and cubby houses, whereas older children might enjoy outdoor play equipment, a new climbing frame or an inflatable water slide! 

Some of the things children get the most enjoyment from don’t cost anything and you can often build them yourself from scrap materials. For example a simple mud kitchen made from pallets or a sensory play area with boxes of stones, leaves & other natural materials can provide hours of entertainment. Even a small raised veggie garden can really engage children and provide them with a love of nature and the magic of growing food they can eat.

Set the Example

If you spend most of your time inside…so will your children. Pick a few things that you do inside regularly and do them outside instead. For example, you can work on your laptop, read a book, or relax outdoors instead of indoors.

Then when your children need to come to you to talk to you or to ask you something, this will naturally ‘force’ them to come outside more often. Then the more time they come outside to see you, they’ll naturally start to spend more time outside as well. 

That’s when you can start to ‘plant seeds’ by suggesting that they do something fun like kicking the football, or you can give them easy tasks to do such as asking them to water the garden with the hose.

East Meals Outside

If it’s ever a nice day out, take advantage of it! Your family can eat lunch or dinner outside rather than inside. Again, this will naturally compel your children to come out of the house more often, and you can suggest that they do things outside after you’ve eaten your meal.

Have ‘Outside Time‘

Do you already have ‘homework time’ where your kids need to make sure they get their homework done that’s due the next day? Do you have ‘quiet time’ or ‘relaxing time’ where your kids need to settle down before going to bed?

In that same spirit, what’s to stop you from having ‘outside time’? For example, you can go meet up with your friends and their kids in the park and bring your children with you. Or if your kids are into any sports, you can practice with them outside in the backyard.

Conclusion

There are more reasons than one that your children need to spend time outdoors, and there are likewise more ways than one to get them outside too. Even just a short burst of time spent having fun outside everyday can make a big difference to the well