Outside play

[mom2burgess]

I was reading a Reader's Digest in the checkout stand yesterday, and saw an article that stated children ages 8-17 on average only spend about 50 minutes of freeplay outside a week, in 2002! That had dropped from about 120 minutes (I think) in the 90's

My kids spend over that amount a day (except in winter)

What do you think contributes to this? Do you think outdoor free play is important to the development of kids?

[Jory]

What do you think contributes to this?

Electronics



Do you think outdoor free play is important to the development of kids?

Extremely.

[Neurotic1]

Technology
Dual income families
Parental fear for children's safety
Sun damage concerns
Shorter attention spans/lack of creativity for play

and so forth...


I think it is super important.

My eldest would love to spend all day reading in his room, writing stories, or just day dreaming. I actually force him to go outside several times during the day. He has fun when he gets out there...but you'd think I was asking him to cut off his arm :lol

[choomon]

I think safety concerns are a big part of it.

[Keri]

Mark and I worry about their safety. EVen living on a military post I don't feel particularly secure so one of us is always out with the boys when they are out. We have 2 fairly nice sized playgrounds really close to our house and one has bike trails so we are fortunate that they have an area so close to our house to play at.

Military rules allow for children aged THREE and up to play unsupervised so there are a lot of little ones that run around during the day with no supervision :(

We live on a cul-de-sac so the boys can ride their bikes and scooters around that too.

EVen with being so cautious my boys still spend more than 50 minutes outside in one DAY let alone a week. Today they went outside at around 11am, came in for lunch, back outside until dinner and bath at 5:30. So they spent about 5 hours outside today and for a weekend that's pretty much the average.

[bRATmom]

THREE???? wow. there is no way in heck I would allow my kids to be unsupervized at the age of three. I have a problem with them sometimes at 11,7 and 6.


sun and bugs are big concerns for me. I do use sunblock, and I do use bug spray. But I am also in an area crawling with west nile, la Cross and lymes. Its a tuff situation....

[Keri]

THREE???? wow. there is no way in heck I would allow my kids to be unsupervized at the age of three. I have a problem with them sometimes at 11,7 and 6.


Tell me about it. I only learned the military's rule when I took the FCC child care classes so I could open my daycare. The FCC's(family child care) rules is no FCC child under 5 is allowed to be unsupervised but I still have issues with that. I guess the parents feel more "safe" because we are on a military post but I'm sure there are just as many perverts and deliquents on this post as there are in any subdivision.

[Peanut]

Tell me about it. I only learned the military's rule when I took the FCC child care classes so I could open my daycare. The FCC's(family child care) rules is no FCC child under 5 is allowed to be unsupervised but I still have issues with that. I guess the parents feel more "safe" because we are on a military post but I'm sure there are just as many perverts and deliquents on this post as there are in any subdivision.

My girls play outside a lot, and our yard is just tiny (the areas where they can play... most of the lawn is xeriscaped and many of those plants don't exactly encourage hardcore play see http://www.snap-shot.com/pages/flower/yucca.html) We live on a cul-de-sac with several other children, but I try and keep a fairly close eye on them. There are a few kids in my older daughter's age group (8) we never see outside, mostly because they are dual-income families and the parents are working. I don't know if the kids are home alone, at a child care location (daycare, grandma's, whatever) but they rarely come out of doors, even when they are all home.

Hijack: I have always had "issues" with the Air Force regulations regarding unsupervised play out of doors on facilities. INSANE. I am not 100% positive anymore the specific ages but they were outrageously young. It is almost as if the "powers that be" on most installations are totally flipping clueless. Lemme tell you, if I had lived closer to the 'General's House' in Japan, I would have sent several wandering kids over to play in THEIR yard instead of mine on numerous occasions!

[Ashley]

I think it decreased because of the safety, the kids aren't safe alone outside and the parents(some of them) are too lazy to go outside and sit especially on the hot days.

Outdoor play is necessary IMO for the development of children. They develop skills outside and get different kinds of experiences and can experiment more. For little one's, it helps their gross motor, they can touch the grass and different things.. It is endless what children can learn outside. I believe that for the majority of children, the outside is their natural environment. It is sooooo much less restrictive than being indoors.

My son goes to daycare/preschool and he gets AT LEAST 509 minutes a day outside probably closer to 2 hours.. Weather permitting. When it gets in the 100's they have to be inside.. And during the rain they stay in but go for a walk under the covered sidewalks... Just for that fresh air....

[Ashley]

I think it decreased because of the safety, the kids aren't safe alone outside and the parents(some of them) are too lazy to go outside and sit especially on the hot days.

Outdoor play is necessary IMO for the development of children. They develop skills outside and get different kinds of experiences and can experiment more. For little one's, it helps their gross motor, they can touch the grass and different things.. It is endless what children can learn outside. I believe that for the majority of children, the outside is their natural environment. It is sooooo much less restrictive than being indoors.

My son goes to daycare/preschool and he gets AT LEAST 50 minutes a day outside probably closer to 2 hours.. Weather permitting. When it gets in the 100's they have to be inside.. And during the rain they stay in but go for a walk under the covered sidewalks... Just for that fresh air....

[DiznieB]

110 is too hot to play outside.

[DiznieB]

the parents(some of them) are too lazy to go outside and sit especially on the hot days.

Outdoor play is necessary IMO for the development of children. They develop skills outside and get different kinds of experiences and can experiment more. For little one's, it helps their gross motor, they can touch the grass and different things.. It is endless what children can learn outside.


ESPECIALLY! on the HOT days! 110 - 118 is NOT fun.

Grass? What is grass? All kidding aside, we don't have grass. We have rocks. Lots of sharp rocks. The majority of homes in our neighborhood have rocks for grass and cactus' for trees and plants. Kids can learn a lot from walking on 200 degree cement, falling and burning their hands and legs, stepping on sharp rocks and touching the needles of cactus. LOL.

Playing outside, here, is not fun.

Now during the COOLER months I will take them to parks to play. The playground equiptment is too hot right now. Not to mention me and my children are very fare skinned and Arizona is one of the worst states for skin cancer. Forget it. Not worth it. I rather take my kids in the mall to play at the playland or go to the gym's day care or even Mc Donald's playland if nothing else.

Eventually we will install grass and a swing set in the backyard, which will be nice for them. But that's not going to be until after the summer.

ARIZONA SUMMER'S SUCK.