In comparison to the 70s and 80s, there has been a ton of development in the tech space, especially when it comes to children. Children, toddlers, and even babies use more technology than ever before and the numbers keep rising. Effects of this expansion in technology and digital assets are being recorded as they happen real time. For instance, 30% of kids who use internet for over 3 hours per day were diagnosed with depression according to Gitnux.

In almost every household nowadays, toddlers and children use technology with their parents and it’s now nearly unavoidable. The average age a child gets a smart phone is as young as 10 years old.

Research from multiple hospitals and scientists have proven that outdoor play is so important, especially in today’s digital world. Right now, according to Outward Bound a child spends 5-8 hours a day in front of a screen. The average child spends only 4-7 minutes outside on a day of uninstructed play. More than half of teenagers in the United Kingdom have never climbed, or tried to climb a tree.

Below are many of the reasons outdoor play is so important in today’s world.

• Sunshine and Vitamin D

  What better way to get Vitamin D in your body than to get some sun on your skin. Put some sunscreen on to avoid potential of skin cancer and go have some fun! Harvard has reported that the sun gives us the most exposure to Vitamin D which in turn plays a crucial role in body processes from body and bone development and immune system support. The sun also affects our mood and our sleeping habits.

• Advanced Motor Skills

  Playing outside increases children’s’ agility, timing, balance, and coordination. According to Miracle Recreation, kids who play outdoors are more likely to move in ways that challenge their muscles, bones, and physical endurance. This actually benefits confidence, strength, and body development. It benefits a child’s breathing and growth.

• Communication Skills

  Playing indoors is a completely different setting. It creates a different social environment in comparison to outside. Kids who are outside more often feel more free, and sensitive. They feel the openness to share their thoughts and emotions freely.

• Self-Awareness

  The great outdoors comes with the many elements of it. A child needs to learn, sometimes by failing, that these elements can harm you or help you. They need to be aware of their surroundings to appropriately react to situations that may play out in the future. Self awareness can grow into confidence, reasoning skills, cause and effect, and creativity.

• Respect for Nature and Environment

  When raising our future, it’s important to teach them why we must respect the planet we live on. This teaches gratitude and respect in a simpler, less daunting sense, where it’s not with another human. Respect for the world can thus turn into respect for all walks of life.

• Independence

  Most outdoor play comes with the need for responsibility. Through their experience playing outdoors, they will need to grow independent. The parent will not always be there to hold their hand as they roam through nature. Outdoors grants children space, which they can actually use more often than you think. They don’t always want to hold your hand and they shouldn’t according to researcher’s advice.

• Resilience

  Kids will get hurt in outdoor play. It’s not a matter of if, it’s a matter of when. Playing outside will teach children to push through uncomfortable situations ,whether emotional or physical.

• Increase Attention Spans

  The average human attention span has decreased by over 25% since year 2000. Technology continues to weaken our attention spans. Outdoor play has been proven to increase our attention spans, both for adults and kids. Sanford health reported, “In fact, studies of children diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) found that children with ADHD who spent significant time outdoors exhibited fewer symptoms.”

• Reduced Risk of Near Sightedness

  Scores of studies show links between outdoor time and the development of myopia. Kids who spend more time outside are less likely to become nearsighted (Goldschmidt and Jacobsen 2014, Rose et al 2016).

• Learning New Things

  The great outdoors offers ample, endless opportunities to learn and adapt. Children will explore everything indoors but then they will get bored way quicker before getting bored outside.

• Friendships

  Friendships can flourish outdoors. Kids can really let their imagination flow wildly outside. There’s so much space to spread out, be creative, be themselves, and show their true colors. Their bond in friendship will become stronger because of all these benefits.

• Brain Development and Thinking

  The brain experiences different stimulation and wonder when outside. There’s so many wonders to this world, even adults can’t figure out. So when children play outside, those same wonders that adults experience, begin to develop and grow from there.

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