Are your kids getting enough time outside? A survey commissioned by the makers of Claritin® of 5,000 American parents of children aged 5-13 found that 81% agreed their children are excited to be outside — yet 55% are worried their kids aren’t spending enough time outside.
Getting outside isn’t just good for your kids’ mental and physical health — it’s an excellent way for families to bond and create memories together. When surveyed, 78% of parents said that some of their favorite childhood memories are of playing outside, with 66% revealing they want to recreate those memories with their children.
While more than half (55%) of parents admit their kids spend more time outside now than pre-pandemic times, 72% acknowledge they’d spend more time outside if their personal outdoor space was more exciting.
Not sure where to start? The Outsideologist Project, from the makers of Claritin®, offers many ideas to encourage children to spend more time playing outside — whether it’s in your own backyard, local park or anywhere in between. Below are tips on how you can make your outdoor space more exciting and engaging with fun activities the whole family will enjoy.
SPORTS
What are your fondest memories of playing sports — catch, kicking around a soccer ball or shooting hoops with your parents? Many kids develop a passion for sports from their parents. You can nurture their interests by regularly playing different sports with them.
While you may not have enough people to play teams, you can teach your kids the fundamentals and help improve their skills. Turn your lawn, backyard, or even the parkintoaminitrainingcamp. For example, if your children are interested in soccer, you can designate sections of the yard or field for different skills, like dribbling around cones, scoring a goal and passing the ball.
GAMES
There are plenty of backyard games your kids can enjoy this summer and beyond. The tried-and-true classics like tag, water balloon fights and hide and seek are always a hit, but you can also try fun creative games as well.
If your children like to play pretend, you can make their day by creating a treasure hunt so your little pirates can go exploring. Hide a few small prizes in your backyard, draw up a map with clues or challenges and set your kids off on a great adventure.
You can also create a backyard obstacle course with cones, pool noodles, hula hoops or any other materials you may have. Bend the pool noodles or cardboard boxes to make tunnels or hurdles, and place hula hoops, or use chalk to create hopscotch-like obstacles. If you have slides, incorporate those into the course for more challenging obstacles.
For more ideas and inspiration on making the most of your outdoor space, follow @outsideologistproject on Instagram and Facebook.
This article is courtesy of Brandpoint.