On average, today’s kids spend seven hours a day staring at electronics like phones, laptops, tablets and television. Evidence demonstrates that kids today tend to swap active outdoor recreation for more sedentary activities, often to the detriment of their health and quality of life.
If you’re like most parents, you probably already knew your kids tend to spend more of their waking hours in front of a screen than playing outdoors. Influential people and media outlets have focused on declining activity rates among children for years now — a notable example is former First Lady Michelle Obama’s “Let’s Move!” campaign in 2010. Even more than a decade later, headlines about kids choosing screens over physical play are easy to find. Parents are beginning to realize the benefits of physical activity for their whole family, but many are still unaware of why moving is so essential.
As a parent, you want your kids to grow up to be healthy, well-rounded individuals with a strong sense of independence and compassion. The best way to teach these qualities to your kids is to get them outside.
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Why should kids play outside?
So just why should kids play outside and what are the benefits of outdoor play for children? First, having kids play outside helps them gain advanced motor skills. It also lowers body mass and leads to better general health, including improved muscle strength, boosted immune system, and an improved mood. Next, outdoor play has numerous social benefits which include better peer-to-peer relationships, greater self-awareness and an appreciation for the environment. Finally, there are multiple emotional and intellectual development benefits of outdoor play such as the use of all the senses and additional brain development.
Encouraging children to increase their time outside and away from their devices aids their physical health and helps them become emotionally and intellectually tougher. Whether it’s a trip to a nature-inspired park or taking a hike through the woods with their family, there’s no denying the benefits of playing outdoor games and stepping away from the screen and into the sunshine.
Read the full article about the benefits of outdoor play or jump to a specific section:
Physical Development Benefits of Outdoor Play
Social Development Benefits of Outdoor Play
Emotional Development Benefits of Outdoor Play
Intellectual Development Benefits of Outdoor Play
Mental Health Benefits of Outdoor Play
Importance of Outdoor Play for Younger vs. Older Children
How Can You Encourage Your Child to Play Outside?
Encouraging Kids to Play Outdoors With Miracle® Recreation
Physical Development Benefits of Outdoor Play
Spending time outside presents extensive benefits for children’s physical development throughout their preschool and elementary years. Outdoor play is directly related to a child’s physical strength, weight and immune function. Kids who are active throughout childhood are usually more likely to engage in regular exercise later in life.
Encouraging outdoor play in young children helps develop a healthy attitude about maintaining an energetic adult lifestyle.
When compared with their peers, kids who spend more time outdoors typically exhibit the following attributes.
1. Advanced Motor Skills
Playing outside allows kids to develop more advanced motor skills than children who spend most of their time indoors, including agility, balance and coordination. Kids who spend time playing outdoors are more likely to move in ways that challenge their muscles, bones and physical endurance. Outdoor environments give kids the space they need to walk, play and swing. They can play catch. They can crawl under bushes, climb trees and ride bikes.
When kids have the chance to engage in physical activity, they can strengthen both their bodies and their sense of self-confidence. Extended time outside also allows kids who play sports to practice their skills, like kicking, catching and batting – whatever they need for their specific sport.
2. Lower Body Mass Index
Only 7% of kids met the criteria for obesity in 1980. Three decades later, more than one in three kids could fall under the obesity classification. There are two main reasons for such a sharp rise in childhood obesity — Americans eat more and move less than they did in the past.
Children who play outside more often are more energetic than their sedentary counterparts, meaning they’re less likely to become obese. They’re not sitting in front of a television or computer for hours on end. Instead, they’re outside staying active and burning off calories.
According to one study, which examined body mass index (BMI) in preschool-age children, a direct correlation exists between a child’s BMI and the time they spend engaging in outdoor activity. Parents who allowed their children to play outside for longer generally had kids with a lower BMI than parents who limited their kids’ playtime.
3. Better General Health
There are many long-term health benefits to limiting your child’s risk of obesity. Obese children are more likely to develop health issues like asthma, sleep apnea, diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Spending time in the sunlight can enhance your kid’s mood and bolster their immune system. Children who have ADHD can also benefit from outdoor play, as it provides a safe way for them to release pent-up energy that can create problems in indoor settings.
Outdoor play can also help kids get proper amounts of vitamin D, also known as the “sunshine vitamin,” since bodies produce it during sun exposure. It’s present in certain foods, but kids normally need more than just what they can get from their diet. Letting your kid play outside on sunny days is one of the best ways to make sure their body is making enough.
Kids need sufficient levels of vitamin D to build strong, healthy bones and teeth. One of the most important components of bone is a mineral called calcium phosphate, which the body can only absorb when it has enough vitamin D. Scientists are still researching the effects of this vitamin, but its other potential benefits include:
Boosted immune function.
Increased ability to prevent disease.
Improved mood.
Reduced risk of childhood obesity.
4. Improved Muscle Strength
Outdoor play activities help to boost a child’s coordination and strength. Take swinging, for example. As kids learn to follow the swing’s movement, they’re engaging all their muscles to hold on and sit up.
Swinging may seem like a repetitive playground activity, but it pushes young kids to develop muscles. Other outdoor toys such as bikes, skateboards and scooters also push your child to engage and strengthen their muscles.
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