--- title: "How to Encourage Outdoor Play in Kids" description: "Truth be told, most of the kids in the U.S. are spending less time playing outdoors. The time they spend out now is far short of the free-ranging chil" author: "Jason Walter" published: 2019-07-26 updated: 2020-05-21 canonical: https://www.mindstick.com/articles/157102/how-to-encourage-outdoor-play-in-kids category: "services" tags: ["sports", "parents"] reading_time: 3 minutes --- # How to Encourage Outdoor Play in Kids Truth be told, most of the kids in the U.S. are spending less time playing outdoors. The time they spend out now is far short of the free-ranging childhoods many of us experienced. Due to our packed schedules and busy lives, outdoor play has taken a backseat on a family’s priority list. But it’s never too late. There can be a few ways for the parents to foster a love for outside time with their friends and family. This helps to strike a balance between classroom learning and [outdoor education](https://answers.mindstick.com/qa/111999/what-are-the-benefits-of-outdoor-education-programs-for-students). ## Start Simple To break away from this difficult lifestyle, you should start taking out your kids for an “open-air-life”. It can be anything from walking the dog, hiking, or berry-picking. The purpose here is to inspire a simple joy of being in nature. For this reason, the activities must be structured. There must be clear boundaries for beginning, middle and end. Try to make these activities competitive and achievement-based. How about making sure that you spend at least 30 minutes of a day outside. Take small steps at a time and take it further from here. ## Balance screen time with ‘green time’ There is no denying the fact that [electronic devices](https://answers.mindstick.com/qa/102394/what-role-does-a-ups-play-in-protecting-electronic-devices) and [digital media](https://www.mindstick.com/blog/12249/6-tips-to-increase-digital-media-presence-for-your-small-business) have had a huge impact on our lives. Kids are found busy [playing games](https://answers.mindstick.com/qa/36014/what-s-the-meaning-of-lol-xd-or-other-phrases-while-playing-games) on their tabs and streaming videos on YouTube. But this is the first step we should all take to balance the use of digital devices in our lives. Not only the parents should restrict the use of smartphones at home, they should also limit the screen time of their kids. When the parents will go out and sub the screen time with ‘green time’, the kids would start loving to play outside. ## Create like-minded groups Raising healthy and happy kids means creating a system within your community that benefits every kid. The communities must collaborate and start some sort of nature playgroup or other regular family get-togethers outdoors. Find a tribe of people in your community that encourages playing outside. Assembling groups that welcome [opportunities](https://answers.mindstick.com/qa/34542/what-is-an-opportunities-tab) to play outdoors are important. It can be a group of kids from the neighborhood or a more structured meet up at the park. Here you can use the power of [social media](https://www.mindstick.com/articles/1843/impact-of-social-media-in-seo) to create a hub where ideas can be shared and activities can be planned. ## Make use of that extra space Do you have a place in your society, in [your backyard](https://answers.mindstick.com/blog/205/trusted-pool-builder-high-quality-pools-for-your-backyard-retreat) or anywhere that you are not quite sure what to do with? Whatever the size of the space is, fill it with play! Even if it is a small room, you can transform it into a paradise for the kids to play in. Try to make it attractive and interesting for kids. If space is large then you can install **used commercial playground equipment**. You can also make kids a part of any creative exercise to make the barren place joyful again. --- Original Source: https://www.mindstick.com/articles/157102/how-to-encourage-outdoor-play-in-kids Copyright © MindStick Software Pvt. Ltd. This Markdown version is provided for developers, AI systems, and offline reading.