Getting Kids Outdoors

Talk to a group of parents long enough and the question is sure to come up: How do you get your kids off their electronic gadgets and get them outdoors?

Parents will lament and complain about how hard it is to even have a conversation with their children because they are so distracted with their cell phones, their handheld games and computers. Of course, some children will say the same about their parents.

“When the whole family can get moving together, it makes getting outdoors more fun. And it gets everyone moving,” says mother Kathy McDonald, owner of Get Clear Get Going Coaching and author of Creating Your Life Collage, a self-help book regarding work/life balance. “So many times we make commitments to get moving more, and we think we don’t have time. But if you save a regular time with your kids, you’re more apt to do it.”

Besides playing tennis with her family, McDonald and her two children, ages 12 and 11, walk their dogs together daily. “For my kids, walking the dogs is a great check point. We talk about how their day is going, how their lives are going. We’ve turned this daily ritual of walking the dogs into so much more,” she explains.

Developing a habit of fitness and appreciation of the outdoors should start early, McDonald says. “If you can make it a habit when they’re young, you’re helping them develop a habit that will support them throughout their lives,” she says. Equally important is giving their minds space to think, to foster their own creative thoughts instead of depending on video games or television to provide a story, she says.

Alex Curtis Boyer, program director for the abcPROGRAM at Baby Bungalow, cites research showing that children lack the upper body brachial strength that older generations possessed, the theory being children used to spend a lot more time climbing on jungle gyms and participating in other outside activities that helped build physical strength.

Outdoor exploration utilizes skills not needed for more passive play taking place indoors, Boyer says. “When children play outdoors, they have to look for things in the grass, climb trees, pick up rocks…It takes a whole different skill set than sitting in and watching TV. All your senses are engaged in a different way,” she explains.

She has also noticed in her line of work at Baby Bungalow that today’s children seem afraid to get dirty. Whereas their parents probably grew up making mud pies, these children aren’t necessarily used to playing with mud and other natural materials. In tactile learning, children are introduced to interesting textures such as shaving cream and sand. “They almost panic; they don’t want to get their hands dirty,” Boyer observes.

Perhaps the greatest benefit to spending time outdoors is the spiritual component that Mother Nature can provide, Boyer says. “The child that is outdoors, in a quiet surrounding, is using his or her senses, without being overly stimulated by technology. A lot of peace can come from nature. It can help a child be more centered, feeling they are one with nature and connected to the world.”

Local pediatrician Dr. Marcy Baker, says some parents have an unnecessary fear of the outside. While there are reasons to be cautious, parents should look at the risk/benefit ratio and allow their children some freedoms, she says. She allows her sixth grader to walk a few blocks down the street to visit a friend, for example. Regarding the perpetuation of fear, “the media is a big part of the problem, honestly,” she says.

“Parents need to not be fearful of letting kids play outside. It really is sad if kids aren’t outdoors at all. It’s just not good for them. Beyond physical health, being outside is good for their mental health and it’s important to have creative free play,” Baker says, adding that many studies demonstrate the correlation between increased screen time and increased weight.

To other parents, Baker recommends a sunny day rule like she has adopted at home: if it’s a beautiful day, there’s no reason not to play outside. If the sun is shining a bit too brightly, go to the pool or a beach, “while wearing sunscreen,” she adds. If her daughter Samantha has a friend over, they’re not allowed to be on the computer or the TV. “I send them out to play,” Baker says.
Like Boyer and McDonald, she cites imaginary play as a reason to get them outside, and emphasizes that social aspects can be incorporated into outside play that are invaluable. If your neighborhood isn’t abundant with other children playing outside, Baker suggests starting an outdoor club with a group of families that will go together to explore the great outdoors.
So strongly does Baker feel about this topic, a few years ago she started a Health and Fitness Committee at her daughter’s school, with a main project being a day set aside for walking to school. The website www.walktoschool.org offers tips for setting up similar programs, such as the International Walk to School Day.

She recommends reviving old traditions, such as camping in the backyard, creating leaf collections and keeping an aquarium. One family she read about bought a truck load of dirt, plastic buckets and shovels – for the price of a video game – to let their children discover the joys of dirt exploration. Baker suggests setting up a tent in the backyard and leaving it there for convenient, repeated camping.

Sending kids to summer camps where they can spend an extended amount of time immersed in hiking, canoeing, and other wildlife activities can be a wonderful, safe way to let children explore and learn Florida’s true environment.

Executive Director of Wildlife Foundation of Florida Brett Boston recommends the bestselling book, “Last Child in the Woods,” by Richard Louv, describing an ailment he calls Nature-Deficit Disorder. His website, http://richardlouv.com/children-nature-resources provides ideas of getting children outside.

According to Boston, spending time outdoors helps prevent juvenile diabetes, increases life expectancy, helps children with attention deficit disorder, and is important for overall good health. “Everything is so structured. We don’t have unstructured play time anymore, so children don’t invent games anymore,” Boston says sadly. “It used to be if you had a ball and some grass, you could make a game.”

“As parents, we’re all in the same boat. Relax and find your limit on what you think is safe. Parents need to consider, is there unstructured play in their child’s week? Are they getting to parks? Somewhere, there’s bird watching and great nature trails,” Boston says.

The Tampa Bay area offers a great many natural places to explore that are engaging to children. A few nearby places to explore with children are the Manatee Viewing Center in Apollo Beach, Weedon Island Preserve off Gandy Boulevard, Inchetucknee River near Gainesville and Crystal River.

More tips about getting children outside can be found on the website for the National Wildlife Federation, www.NWF.org and the website for the Florida Youth Conservation Network, http://fyccn.org