How to Get Your Kids to Play Outside : 10 Helpful Tips
As parents, we all want our children to be healthy and happy, and playing outside is a great way to achieve that. However, in today's world, it can be challenging to get kids to put down their screens and head outside. In this blog post, we will explore 10 tips and strategies for encouraging children to get outside.
1. Lead by example. Children often look to their parents and caregivers for guidance, so it's important to set a good example by spending time outside yourself. If your kids see you spending all your free time inside, vegging on the couch or working on a household project, they will be inclined to emulate that same behavior and won’t be very motivated to see what the outside world has to offer. Whether it's playing a sport, going for a walk, gardening, or just sitting on the porch, children will be more likely to want to join in if they see you doing it.
2. Make it fun. Children are more likely to want to play outside if they think it will be fun. Try to make outdoor activities as interactive and engaging as possible. Give them ideas of games to play and even teach them how to play these games. Making it fun for them doesn’t have to just involve games either; going on scavenger hunts, having a picnic or exploring unchartered territory (safely) can provide hours of fun too.
3. Offer choices. Give children options for outdoor activities, this way they can choose what they want to do and feel more in control. For example, ask them if they would prefer to go for a bike ride or play catch in the park. This way, you’re not only giving them ideas of what to do, but you’re also making them feel like it’s their choice.
4. Create a routine.
Making outdoor time a regular part of your daily routine can help children develop a habit of spending time outside. This can be as simple as going for a walk after dinner or having a picnic on the weekends. Having consistency with their outdoor routine will start to turn into them looking forward to spending time outside and they’ll be the ones reminding you about their outdoor time.
5. Encourage creativity and use their imagination. Encourage them to explore and create while they're outside. This can include building forts, creating games, and making art with natural materials. So many people we’ve talked to while doing research for this article mentioned that when they were growing up they would use their imagination and create games out of thin air by using only a couple of materials they had lying around, whether it was sports items, random items laying around the house, or even things they found outside.
It can be extremely beneficial for kids to create something fun to do out of sheer boredom. This can teach them to be self-sufficient and learning to tap into the side of the brain that produces creativity can expand their cognitive abilities and even translate into their adult life where they are in situations where they are required to use creativity to problem solve. In a technology-focused world where products are thrown at us every day to try to make daily tasks more convenient and streamlined, it can be difficult to put all that technology away and encourage our kids to just go outside and use what they have between their ears to create some fun for themselves. We just have to remember, that’s how we did it.
6. Incorporate Learning.
Make outdoor time educational by incorporating learning opportunities. This can include exploring nature, counting different types of plants and animals, or even practicing math skills while playing games.
There is no reason why your kids can’t learn academic skills while playing outside. It can be the best of both worlds. Just like this educational outdoor game created by Back B4 Dinner.
7. Turn off screens. One of the biggest challenges in getting children to play outside is competing with screens. Try to limit screen time and make sure that the time spent outside is screen-free. There is nothing like the bond created while connecting with friends over a sport or activity you’re all playing together. Everyone is working towards a common objective with whatever activity they’re all doing, whether they’re on the same team or competing against each other.
When children push themselves to tap into a mental and physical level that they aren’t normally required to while sitting on their phones inside, in order to perform well and have fun in the activity, there is a sense of accomplishment and freedom that they experience, which leads to an extreme amount of confidence and joy.
Many studies have also shown the downside of kids and their developing brains spending an excessive amount of time on social media, video games and other screens. This unfortunately includes the negative psychological effects, addictive properties on par with drugs and the tremendous increase in teenage anxiety, depression and suicide. This is laid out in more depth in this article if you want to learn more about it.
8. Provide them with outdoor toys and equipment.
Having the right tools and toys can make outdoor play more fun and engaging. This can include things like balls, frisbees, sidewalk chalk, and water guns. Even though we talked about encouraging creativity, kids might get a little discouraged if they’re constantly forced to be creative with a rock and a stick and might not want to do much outside anymore. So, providing a few items like some sports equipment or fun toys from time to time will assist them a lot in your quest to get them to go outside and stay outside.
9. Give them a sense of independence. Children often want to feel like they are making their own choices. Give them some freedom to explore and play outside on their own. This can be as simple as letting them play in the backyard or neighborhood park while you keep an eye on them from a distance. Let them go off on their own (safely) and give them a chance to see what they can come up with.
10. Encourage unstructured play. Children need time to play freely and without adult direction. Provide them with open-ended outdoor activities like playing with sand, mud, water, grass, hills, wooded areas, etc. Children engaged in unsupervised play in natural spaces demonstrate improved self-esteem, risk detection and creativity. This type of play can help children to get to know themselves and their limits and what they’re capable of.
Remember, the key to getting kids to play outside is to make it fun and interactive. There are many ways to get your kids to enjoy spending some active time outside. Not every strategy is a good fit for every child, so it might be trial and error in the beginning. With patience and persistence, it can become a regular and enjoyable part of their routine. And the benefits of playing outside are numerous, from physical health to mental well-being, and social development.
We’d love to hear which tips worked for you and your family!
