Make The Kids Go Outside

Children always indoors was not your usual afternoon on the weekends before technology. Playgrounds would be full of kids playing jump rope, hopscotch, riding bikes, hide and seek, and simply just climbing trees. Ever since the internet, video gaming systems, cellphones, and tablets, you see more and more kids inside their homes. According to a Nielson study for kids between the ages 6-12, it was found that 22% of them received a smartphone at age 10.

Another statistic that is not surprising, is how the obese rate on children has risen. According to Centers for Disease Control and prevention, 17% of children are obese. This is one of the many reasons why we need to encourage our kids to play outside more. Lila Rivera, a mother of a 7 year old boy named Zen, said “I noticed my son was getting addicted to YouTube and video games, so that is when my husband and I decided to get the pool built in the backyard.” The pool and beach is always a great option. Some parents keep their kids busy with activities like piano lessons, dance classes, and sports which is also good but could get expensive. It is necessary for parents to monitor the content the kids are watching online. Especially when kids under age 8 are spending more than 2 hours a day with screen media.

This weekend, there was a birthday party I attended where the parents wanted it to be strictly outdoors. The idea was to have the kids enjoy the outdoors and be active. The parents filled water balloons and made up several games to use the water balloons. Kids were running around back and forth and enjoying themselves. They had a snow cone machine where the kids can enjoy a cooling treat. There were no gadgets in use, except the parents recording the fun. There was also a bounce house where the kids also enjoyed jumping up and down. An outdoors birthday party is a great way to encourage kids to be active than your more traditional indoors party with arcades. The best part of outdoors, is that it is free to play outside! Kids can use their imaginations and communicate with one another without a device.

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