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Getting kids away from a screen and outside isn’t easy. Outdoor play is an essential part of children’s development that helps them build strong muscles and a healthy immune system. It plays a valuable role in improving their motor skills, sensory skills, and mood while teaching them vital social and emotional skills. But many kids would rather stay inside watching television or playing on a tablet. Making an effort to get them off the couch is worth it. These six tips can help you entice your kids to play outside.
How to Get Your Kids to Play Outside
Make A Bucket List
Sit down with your kid and make a list of fun outdoor activities that interest them. The best list will include a mixture of activities you can do in your backyard and other places. They might enjoy leisure activities like reading a book on the lawn, lying in a hammock, or having a picnic. Or they may be more interested in outdoor games and sports. Don’t forget to include fun outdoor locations like a local hiking trail, park, or petting zoo! Then pull out your calendar and plan when you can do these outdoor activities together. You can create an Outdoor Fun Jar for activities they can do anytime in your backyard. Write each of these activities on a slip of paper and drop it in the jar. When they don’t know what to do outside, tell them to grab one!
Give Them Freedom to Play & Explore
One of the reasons outdoor play is beneficial for children is because it gives them opportunities to challenge their bodies and take risks. As parents, we want to protect our children from everything. Despite our fears, we need to allow them some freedom to play and explore outside our watchful gaze. Your backyard is an excellent place for children to take risks in a safe space without constant supervision. If you don’t have a backyard, seek out another enclosed space like a neighborhood park where your child can safely play with minimal supervision.
Encourage Imaginative Play
Children have incredible imaginations! There is no better place to let their imagination run wild than in your backyard. Encourage them to go outside and pretend they are characters from one of their favorite books, TV shows, or movies. You could help them make props or put together a costume to get into character.
Make Outdoor Play Part of Your Routine
Build time into your daily routine for your kids to play outside. Incorporating it into your daily activities may be a struggle at first. Once you adjust, it will be easy for you and your kids to stick with it. If your kids are home all day, you could send them outside while you make lunch or after you finish. If your kids are in school, send them outside when they get home. It will be a nice break for their mind before they have to pull out their homework.
Incorporate the Outdoors into Other Activities
Games and sports aren’t the only activities you can do outside. Just sitting outside can boost your kids’ moods and attention spans. On warm, sunny days, take your kids out for everyday activities. It could be a group activity, like eating lunch or making a craft, or a solitary activity like reading a book or completing their homework. This is an easy way to help them get some vitamin D while doing a routine task.
Play Together
Your kids love spending quality time with you. A simple way to help them enjoy outside play is by making good memories together outdoors. When you plan outdoor activities with your kids, make sure to think about their interests first. If your child loves reading, read with them outside. If they love competitions, set up an obstacle course or a scavenger hunt and compete with them. If they love making food, search for edible nuts and fruits outside. Doing an activity that excites them will help them develop a love for time outdoors.
Getting your kids outside can be tricky! Some days, you may need to take the remote or tablet away before using any of these strategies. It is worth the work to incorporate outdoor time into your routine and daily activities. You can make it fun by creating a bucket list together, encouraging their imaginative play, and playing with them outside. We hope that these tips help you!
The children in our care at Kids’ R Kids Avalon Park enjoy their time outdoors more than ever at our new location! Our new, state-of-the-art facility has four unique playground areas and a splash pad! Schedule a tour to check it out and see if our childcare center is the right fit for your family!