In this day and age, a lot of adults and children are spending a lot more time indoors than before. We most likely have the steep rise of technology to blame for this, as it’s just so much easier to be playing a game or scrolling online indoors than it is to get yourself outside.
This is not always a good thing, especially when it comes to children who are still developing and have so much to gain from the outdoors. If you’d like to encourage your kids to spend more time outside, then read on as we break down some of the benefits of outdoor play as well as methods to encourage it.
Benefits of Outdoor Play
Unstructured outdoor playtime is great for the development of children as it allows self-esteem cultivation. The outdoors exposes them to various situations and, in turn, helps them to learn independently. Outdoor play is also great for improving physicality, as it reduces the risk of obesity.
Furthermore, exposure to the sun’s rays renders vitamin D uptake, which supports muscle growth and aids the immune system. Playing outside is also great for boosting creativity, as it gives kids a chance to make their own decisions when faced with different obstacles.
Add Fun To Your Backyard
Enhancing your backyard with fun equipment like swings, toys, climbing frames, and so forth is a great way to get your kids outside more often.
Plan Playdates
Inviting friends of your children over is a great way to give them a reason to play outside. If they aren’t going outside on their own, you may need to lure them outside by setting up a table with snacks and toys. Also, consider if there are any activities they can do outside, such as a treasure hunt, etc.
You can even set up some arts and crafts for them to engage in outside. There are no rules to say that crafts need to be done indoors. The same goes for books.
Introduce Gardening
Kids love to get outside and get their fingers dirty with sand and other elements of nature, even more so than adults. Getting your kids involved with gardening activities is a great way to encourage them to spend more time outside.
Integrate Sports
Instead of just yanking technological devices away from your kids, encourage them to be more active outside. This can be achieved by inviting them to play with a ball outside, and it can be applied to nearly any sport. It can be helpful for you to play sports with them, too.
Set an Example
A great way to encourage your kids to spend more time outside is to lead the way by example. It seems a little hypocritical to tell your kids to spend more time outside when you are not exactly doing so yourself. Children learn a lot through what we do rather than what we say they should do.
Arrange a Camping Weekend
If the weather allows, then a camping trip is a great way to get you and your family to spend some time outdoors.
