How to Encourage Your Kids to Spend More Time Outdoors

Chances are, as a parent, you spend a lot of time remembering the “good old days.” You know, those times when you thought your parents were being horrible by making you spend time outside?

Now, as you fight your own children every day to put away their video games and other electronic devices, you realize how important fresh air and activity are for a growing body. But how can you get your kids to spend more time outside when everything they think they “need” is indoors?

As their role model, it all starts with you. To get your children to put away their indoor games and activities, you have to be consistent and encouraging. Here are some helpful ways to teach your children that being outside is a privilege, not a punishment.

They’ll Feel Better

Sure, this one is a hard sell, even for us as adults. We know that it’s important to get fresh air and exercise, but we’d still rather be comfy and lazy most of the time.

However, the behaviors you instill in your children young are likely to follow them throughout their lives, and this includes their love (or lack thereof) for physical activity and nature.

By encouraging your little ones to play outdoors, they’ll be in better shape physically, which will help them in all aspects of their health and life. With a lower risk of obesity, they’ll be less likely to develop chronic and dangerous medical problems, like cardiovascular disease and diabetes.

And don’t stop at just your children – see if you can recommend field trips to your child’s school that gets them back outside and into nature. Maybe see if they can go stargazing or to even check out the next solar eclipse. Educational facilities can even find eclipse glasses discount for schools so it might not be as costly as they think to give children an incredible experience. By showing every child that being outside is fun, they won’t even realise it is also healthy and educational.

Getting outside correlates to decreased stress levels, better social skills, and fewer symptoms of ADHD if your child has this condition. It can even help them get higher test scores because they’re in better health and can think and focus more clearly.

Give Them Ideas

Not all of us grew up in the outdoors or with active families. Here are a few simple ways you can encourage your child(ren) to play:

Take them to the park, a playground, or anywhere with public facilities.
Install a play structure in your backyard, like a swingset. It’s a good thing you can find swing set parts online, it’s more accessible and convenient nowadays.
Help them design and tend to a garden with plants that grow well in your area. Check out this online nursery in Australia for examples of how to use native plants.
Teach them about astronomy, birdwatching, wildlife spotting, or entomology (studying insects). You never know what might grab their attention and become a lifelong hobby!
Invite other kids and your own friends over for outdoor playdates. Plan a picnic, hold a tea party, or host a sporting event if you have a big enough yard.

You can also go further than this and tailor any activities that will encourage your children outside to their age and interests. For example, if you are the parent of teenage boys, why not bring the video games they love so much to life? Maybe they love action games, and you can buy them one of these bespoke airsoft guns (which shoot harmless pellets, rather than bullets) and encourage them to organize exciting and strategic capture-the-flag games with their friends. Similarly, if your children used to, or still do, love swimming, why not take them to swim somewhere more exciting than the local pool? These days, most people will live within driving distance from an outdoor or natural pool, and a visit can be all it takes to encourage your children to engage once more in activities that are beneficial for both their body and mental wellness. No matter your child’s age or interests, with a little inspiration, you can no doubt find an activity that can coax them away from the screen and back into the real world.