Collaborative post
It seems like our kids are glued to their screens these days, doesn’t it? That can be frustrating when you want them to spend more time outdoors and they seem to have no interest in it. How do you take your kids from spending all their free time indoors to enjoying the outdoors? How do you help them feel like it is fun to be outside in nature rather than some kind of torture? I have a few ideas I want to share that could help you, no matter how old your kids may be.
Set Screen Limits
This is the first thing to try to get your kids off the couch and out the door. Some kids will take better to screen limits than others, but what helps with all of them is to explain that this is for their own good. Talk to them about the dangers of spending too much time in front of screens and how you want them to be well rounded and healthy people.
You can decide a fair amount of time for them to be on screens, whether that is 30 minutes or a couple of hours. The amount of time that individuals set will vary from one parent to the next and from one kid to the next. You can always start off with a broad limit and narrow it down, starting off with a few hours of screen time and working down to something much smaller. You may want to discuss this with your kids to get their input.
With screen limits in place, kids will have fewer options indoors and will be more inclined to spend time outside. When setting screen limits, though, figure in time for them to do any schoolwork they need to use screens for and determine if that should extend the time on screens or not.
Explain the Benefits
You don’t have to scare your kids about the risks of being indoors too much, but you can tell them the facts and explain the benefits about being outdoors compared to indoors- how it helps with their respiratory system and circulation and builds muscles and boosts immunity.
Kids may not realise that it is good for them to be outside, and if they do know it is good for them, they might not understand why. If you can make the outdoors attractive to them by explaining some of the benefits, you may notice your kids being more willing to go play outside.
Give Your Kids a Scheduled Period of Outside Time
Kids sometimes need a little push to head in the right direction. If you tell them they need to spend a specific amount of time outside each day or you set aside a certain time for them to be outside, you can get them used to the idea. Kids may not realise how much fun it is to be outdoors until they actually do it and continue to do it for a while.
By spending so much time in front of screens, they may think that those devices offer the only fun to be had. Once they spend more time outdoors, they may have a different perspective. What might very well happen is that you notice the kids put down their screens on their own at the prescribed time each day and head outside, looking forward to that regular activity.
Give Them Time for Outdoor Play
Spending time outside might not be very fun for your kids if it always involves working in the garden, cleaning the outside of the house, and doing other chores. If your kids get no free time inside because of all the chores they have to do, they might not want to spend their free time outside.
So, what you can do is make sure they have some free time to spend outside and to do the things inside that they love. You may need to handle some of the house chores or yard chores on your own at times to give them that outdoor play opportunity. An interesting website in Chicago, Illinois shared the idea that hiring a maid service can be helpful too, as it gives kids more time to relax and play. It is important for kids to have free time to enjoy themselves during their formative years.
Do Outdoor Activities with Them
Your kids will value the time you spend with them. Why not spend some of the time playing outdoors with them, doing activities that you both enjoy? Play catch or frisbee, play a game of tag, run races, or have a picnic outdoors. If you just send your kids outside while you relax indoors, they might see the outside as punishment. When parents treat outside play as kids’ stuff and indoor play as grown up stuff, kids will see them the same way. Your kids are eager to grow up, so make sure you aren’t giving them the wrong impression.
You just might have more fun outside with them than you think, and it is great for kids to have time bonding with their parents. Engaging in active play with them will help you all grow closer together and will be beneficial for both of you.
Your outside activities with the kids can be as simple as going for a walk with them. Choose walking paths that have activities for the kids to enjoy, like a nearby park or lake. That way, your kids will be excited about the walk too. You can make outdoor time fun by creating scavenger activities and encouraging your kids to identify plants, birds, and insects.
Most kids enjoy being outside, even if they don’t realize it yet. They may just need some encouragement, and I hope these suggestions give you a few ideas you can use with your kids. If you can engender a love of the outdoors with them, then you will have healthier, happier kids who don’t always need to be on a screen to have a good time.