It seems like the good old days of digging up worms and running through the sprinklers are slowly dying out, dwarfed by virtual simulation games. However, the sights, smells and feelings of playing on genuine dirt and grass are tough to mimic on a television screen. Unfortunately, the concept of outdoor play isn't just reminiscence of days past, but an important part of growing up that many children are missing out on.
The Indoor Trend
The trend of staying indoors has crept up since the 1970s due to rising numbers of moms in the workplace, concerns over crime and air pollution, and technological advances that brought about MP3 players, virtual video games and the Internet, according to the North Carolina Cooperative Extension. Now, children six months to six-years-old spend at least one and a half hours per day with electronic media and kids between eight and 18 spend at least six and a half hours a day on electronic media, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation.
Benefits of Outdoor Play
Playing outside allows children to run about more freely, which encourages natural means of becoming physically fit. Children who get exercise are less likely to develop illnesses, such as heart disease, diabetes and stroke; they are also more likely to have a positive outlook on life and exhibit fewer discipline problems, according to The Nemours Foundation. Also, while staying indoors and staring at television screens and books may cause children's perceptual abilities to suffer, active outdoor play improves their basic senses and enhances their understanding of motion through space, according to UCSF Childcare Health. Outdoor play can also improve children's ability to cooperate, share and solve problems with each other.
Outdoor Play Ideas
Children's outdoor play varies by age. While infants may enjoy playing with toys on a blanket in the grass, toddlers are likely to enjoy practicing new gross motor skills, such as running and climbing by playing on small play structures and racing around a yard with their peers and caregivers. Preschoolers can enjoy organized games, such as Simon Says, yet they also benefit from unstructured play time to practice riding a tricycle and work on catching skills, according to UCSF Childcare Health. Older children also enjoy free play time, but they are developmentally capable of playing team sports, such as soccer and individual sports, such as ice skating or bicycling.
Dangers of Staying Indoors
Spending too much sedentary time indoors has not only contributed to the childhood obesity epidemic, it also increases children's exposure to indoor air pollutants such as mold and lead. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, air inside homes can be more polluted than outdoor air, which means that children's health risks by exposure to indoor pollution potentially greater than their health risks by outdoor pollution. Additionally, Richard Louv, author of "Last Child in the Woods," mentions that children who spend too much time away from direct contact with nature and focus all of their senses on a screen experience extra stress, which may increase their risk of performing poorly in school and developing Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, or ADHD.
Encouraging Outdoor Play
Parents can encourage outdoor play by getting outside themselves. Regular family picnics, walks around the block after dinner and trips to the local zoo give children a chance to interact with nature. Even simple outdoor activities such as washing the dog, setting up a car wash, creating a hop-scotch out of chalk and reading on a blanket can encourage children to develop a deeper love of the great outdoors.
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