Play Time

"When I was your age I walked 10 miles to school through the snow..."

"Lets go outside and go to the park" I suggested. "No." He didn't even bother to look up from his video game.

Although he gets much pleasure out of that silly little hand-held game, I sometimes regret buying that contraption. Some days we barely venture outside at all. Mostly when the weather outside is freezing! A little time outdoors in the snow is good for you, isn't it?

Sometimes he surprises me and wants to go outside - or go to the gym and play basketball. ( Thank You, God! ) And still, I just wish I could get him to play outside more. He needs time to run around in the fresh air and explore and play with other kids!

Historically, active play has been the means by which children become healthy and fit. Due to environmental constraints - like a lack of safe, convenient places to play - and our busy schedules, many children just don’t have the chance to enjoy playing outside.

Some interesting research has lead to the following observations:

Girls with a more natural view (trees, grass, shrubs) performed better on standardized performance measures of concentration compared to girls who looked at a more barren setting (buildings, dirt, or paved surfaces).

Children diagnosed with Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) had milder ADD symptoms after engaging in play outside versus playing inside. The “greener” the play setting (parks, farms, places with tall trees, grass, or natural water sources), the milder the symptoms.

What can we do? Somewhere I read that to a child Love is spelled T I M E. The time we actually spend with our children is one way they feel our love. And enjoying time together outdoors benefits us all.

Here's hoping we can raise happy and healthy children!