I am somewhat baffled at two different extremes I see in parenting practices related to the outdoors. That said, I understand why they happen (especially now as an adult and busy parent myself), but think the repercussions are far more life-long than most realize.
- Kids are driving parents crazy so they are “banned” to the outdoors and expected to stay out there as long as possible. The message is sent that it is a punishment.
- Outdoor time is taken away for kids that are misbehaving. This could either be in schools where kids are not able to go to recess because of their misbehavior OR at home where “the kids were being naughty so I didn’t let them go outside.”
Obviously there are exceptions and different circumstances to take into account. Sometimes kids DO just need to go outside and an adult isn’t available to be there too (not as an “entertainer” but rather as a good example.) Other times classwork needs to be done and recess is the only available time. However, I think this should be more the exception than the rule. A “once in a while” instance is drastically different than a recurring event.
Susan Ohanian, an education advocate and author of What Happened to Recess and Why Are Our Children Struggling in Kindergarten states, “Anybody who knows anything about children–particularly little kids–knows that they learn so much on the playground: how to get along, negotiate, make and follow each other’s rules, talk to one another, and fall down and get back up again.”
Sixty minutes of daily unstructured free play is essential to children’s physical and mental health. (American Academy of Pediatrics, 2008)
Numerous studies have shown that recesses in school help attention span, processing their learning and reducing aggression.
Children learn by example, as much as, as parents, that sometimes makes us cringe. They are the ultimate in “monkey see, monkey do.” Again, there are exceptions to this too with different kids and personality types. However, if kids see their parents getting out, getting exercise, and enjoying their time in the fresh air (and making it a priority) it is becoming the norm for them.
Are you saying I can’t just send my kids outside to play?
No.
Unstructured outdoor play time is essential to fostering creativity, imagination play and an individual love for nature. That said, if kids never see their parents go out on their own (between a balance of family time and kid-free “sanity time”), they are much less likely to pursue a life-long commitment to their outdoor health.
What do kids really need?
- An opportunity to play outside unstructured and safely
- Gear to keep them warm and comfortable in all weather conditions so they CAN get out daily. **This is the reason we do so many gear reviews on the blog – so you can see what is out there. That said, kids don’t need the latest and greatest – just gear that works!**
- The opportunity to see and experience different environments (not just their backyard)
- The knowledge that getting out in fresh air is healthy and makes them happy
- Exposure to a variety of activities (digging, sliding, exploring, hiking, biking, skiing, sledding, snowshoeing, climbing, etc.)
Tips to making sure it happens – at home and at school:
- Schedule outdoor time into your daily routine as a family: walk to the bus stop, play outside right after school/work, be ok with going out in the dark, plan ahead the night before so you can go out in the mornings, etc. Do what works for YOUR family.
- Use weekends for extended outdoor time.
- Be an advocate for daily recess without exception in your child’s school. At the end of this article there are some great tips on how to do that.
- Going private for schooling? Research montessori or outdoor schools in your area.
- Resist “throwing your kids outside” when they are “driving you crazy”. Go with them, even for part of the time. Usually the fresh air is beneficial to everyone.
- Invest (or search for on bargain sites) good gear that will keep your kids happy, dry and warm. It makes a huge difference for positive outdoor experiences.
- Try something new as a family each year or season.
- Commit to making your outdoor time as much of a necessity for your kids as it is for you.
Additional Resources:
Why Kids Need Recess and Exercise from Parenting
Why Be Out There? from the National Wildlife Federation
© 2014, Tales of a Mountain Mama. All rights reserved. Republication, in part or entirety, requires a link back to this original post and permission from the author.
What a great article Amelia! It’s only been since moving out here to the wilderness that I’ve seen kids ‘playing outside’ without structure/supervision like I have memories of doing when I was little. I don’t know how the power of the outdoors has turned into a fear in Suburbia, but it sure has. That said, i was never an ‘outdoors every day’ kind of kid and when I moved out here it floored most of my family and friends. But I was taught from an early age to seek love and healing and life in nature, so it doesn’t seem strange at all to me – I just didn’t like hanging out alone in the backyard, it was booring 🙂
-Susan
Susan – oh great point. I totally remember being bored outside as a kid by myself. Hmmmmm – maybe another idea for a post! Thanks for commenting!
This is a wonderful article and it reminds me of some of the attitudes I’ve seen among parents when it comes to books and reading. It’s either treated as a chore or bedtime stories are withheld as a punishment. When you use something important as currency in a power struggle, everyone loses.
YES! Very good point! Easy to do, but sad repercussions!
Great post, Amelia. It always irks me when schools threaten to take away recess time as a punishment – the kids desperately need that time outside.
Agreed! 🙂
Fantastic article. Love it. Our family strives to do be outside each day. We pick up our kids from school every day and most days let them stay and play for a half our or more. It’s their chance to play with their friends that aren’t in our neighbourhood. It’s fresh air for all of us. I’m glad our school includes twice a day recess plus outdoor time right before school starts as well. I think it is so important for kids!!
As for weekends, we do try and get out as much as we can. Aside from hiking and biking, we also do some races with our kids. It’s a fun way to be active as a family in a supportive environment!!
Punishing kids by sending them outside…I see something similar every week at my older son’s soccer practices. The last kid to arrive has to do push ups, if the kids are goofing around instead of taking drills seriously they have to do push ups…exercise as punishment. Going outside and being active is part of our nature as human beings. As parents, coaches, teachers we should treat the outside and being active as a natural part of being human.
Well-said! Thanks, Ken!
Hej hej, just dropping by from Sweden and we practice plenty of outside time especially in daycares. It is the believe that play is more beneficial to kids. Kids avoid unhealthy bacterias indoors too.
I LOVE the Sweedish outdoor play model!!!! 🙂 Welcome, Shirlene!