27, Secrets to Make Your Child Happier:  Send Your Child Outside

3/26/2021

How much outdoor play time does your child have every day? Do you know American child is said to spend an average of 30 minutes a day outside? And the same group of children spend 5-8 hours a day on screens. They may prefer to stay in front of screens, but getting outdoor matters.

Today, we are going to talk about why and the benefits of children's need to spend time in nature.

Over the past few decades, children’s relationship with the great outdoors and nature has been changed dramatically. Since the 1990s researchers have noticed a shift in how children spend their free time. The days of the free-range childhood, where children spend hours outside playing in local parks, fording streams, and climbing trees have been mostly replaced by video games, television watching, and organized activities such as sports and clubs. We have traded green time for screen time, and it has had an impact on children’s well-being and development. Our approach to raising children has changed as well, parents are afraid to allow their children to roam free, because of perceived safety concerns. Here’s something simple you can do to improve your child’s chance of future health and success, make sure he/she spends plenty of time playing outside.

Here are the top 3 benefits of children spending time in nature.

1.Build physically healthier children. Outdoor play encourages active play, which is the best exercise for children. Studies show children burning more calories outdoors, will help prevent obesity and strengthen bones and muscles. Playing in the sun builds vitamin D in the body, which means stronger bones and immune system, as well as healthier sleep and better mood. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, many children have vitamin D deficiencies.

2. Increase attention spans. Children who play outdoors regularly are more curious, self-directed, and likely to stay with a task longer. Children who spend most of their time indoors, with little exposure to activities requiring their initiation and follow-through show less ability, to initiate or participate in new activities. Studies of children diagnosed with ADHD found that children with ADHD who spent significant time outdoors exhibited fewer symptoms.

3. Contribute to cognitive and social/emotional development. Unstructured outdoor play helps children learn to take turns, share and develop other positive behavioral skills. Children need to learn how to work together. They need to learn how to make friends, how to share and cooperate, how to treat other people. If they only interact in very structured settings, such as school or sports teams, they won’t learn everything they need to know. Additionally, fresh air and free play reduce stress levels.

There are some other benefits: developing executive function skills, better school performance, more creativity, greater self-awareness, appreciation for the environment, and developing a sense of independence. And it has so much fun. So try it. Do what our parents did, send your children outside. Even better, go with them!

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