Kids Today Don’t Know How To Play Outside!

Preparing to take the plunge.

It was a Fall day and it was beautiful outside. I looked around and the kids were on the XBOX and WII. I love technology myself, but when I was a kid I was always outside. I wanted my kids outside, so I turned everything off and told them to “go outside and play, go get dirty, play with the cars, make dirt roads, play with the dolls…go, go!”

It was hilarious and ridiculous at the same time…HaHa… They went outside and stood still for about 2 minutes, it was so funny, they didn’t know what to do and kept saying: “Mommy, this is boring, there is nothing to do.” I called my mom in Portugal laughing. “Mom, my kids don’t know how to play outside” I was shocked! I realized my kids don’t know how to play outside. Sounds ridiculous!!! It is ridiculous!!!

Ballston Spa Winter Festival

About a month ago I was telling my story to a couple and they told me their son is addicted to the XBOX and doesn’t play outside. They told me he doesn’t even know how to ride a bike and he’s 10. Wow! That was even more shocking!!!

How can a kid not know how to ride a bike? That’s all I did when I was a kid, be outside riding my bike and playing with my imagination.  I spent all day outside. I walked to school then back home. Then after homework, I would ride my bike and play outside till it was time for dinner.

Kids don’t know how to be kids anymore!!!  According to The Last Child in The Woods, by Richard Louv, the average child consumes 6 hours of screen time daily. Our kids are the first generation of kids raised on screens.
http://richardlouv.com/books/last-child/

According to a new study published in the Archives of Pediatric & Adolescent Medicine, parents just aren't taking their kids, especially young girls, outdoors to participate in physical activities.

The study looked at 8,950 children and researchers asked their parents to report their child's outdoor playtime. Researchers discovered only 51 percent of children went outside to walk or play once a day with either parent.

Boys were also more likely to be taken outside than girls: Preschool girls were 16 percent less likely to be taken outdoors.

I think this is one of the reasons why there are more kids being diagnosed with ADD and ADHD. If the kids aren’t outside what are they supposed to do with all this energy stored inside their little bodies. It has to come out at some point... Let’s be realistic.

When I was teaching 90 percent of the kids I had in the classroom were on anti-depressants. I couldn’t understand why because they had no “adult responsibilities”  “How can they be depressed?” I thought. But it all makes sense now.

According to research done at The University of Rochester… students who spent just 20 minutes a day outside felt more energetic than those who didn’t … because sunlight triggers your brain to release serotonin, which helps to boost your mood and energy levels. http://www.nowloss.com/How-to-get-more-energy-naturally.htm

The reasons kids are indoors more today primarily has to do with fear. Fear of abduction, fear of being hit by a car, fear of sunburns, poison oak, ticks, snakes, and on, and on, and on. Thirty years ago parents sent their kids outside to get them out of their hair, today we give them a screen to keep them quiet. Have you noticed it’s actually more work then sending them outside.

When kids are outside they are much calmer, much more talkative and much happier.

How much time does your child spend outside?