Blogging Before Dinner : Post 1

Cell phones, social media, computers, videos games, TV, devices. Apps, games, Tik Tok, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, Xbox, PlayStation, Nintendo Switch, oh, and countless show and movie streaming platforms. No wonder why it’s harder than ever these days to get your kids to want to play outside. But after reading this, you’ll want to.

In a survey done by Canadian footwear and apparel manufacturer, Kamik, 65% of American parents surveyed said they played outside every day during their childhood, while only 30 percent of their children do the same today. Even more alarming, nearly one in five kids today play outside only once a week or less.

As parents, you have reason to be concerned about your kids playing outside less and less, and the following mental and physical benefits will show why we should get them back outside.

1. Coping with Success and Failure In an article written by The Times of India, Dr. Vipul Singh, Psychiatrist in GSVM medical college, found that playing outdoors in groups can help kids learn the art of coping with winning and losing at an early age. If you do not learn this at an early age, you tend to find it difficult to cope with challenging and unfavorable conditions later in life. This leads to stress, followed by behavioral problems. Dr. Ashutosh Singh, a physician, said that exercise for at least 45 minutes is a must for growing kids. He said that adults need to take the ‘no play’ situation for children seriously. “The suicidal tendency among children is increasing every year because they are not ready to accept failure, which they actually learn while playing with others.

2. *Healthy Mental State* Playing outdoors has shown a reduction in anxiety, depression and stress, found by MSU Extension in a study done on the consequences of children spending less time outdoors. Children engaged in unsupervised play in natural spaces demonstrate improved self-esteem, risk-detection and creativity. Connecting with peers during light-hearted competitive active play can increase confidence and help children get to know themselves and their limits and what they’re capable of.

Additionally, multiple healthy chemicals are released that benefit your child’s well-being when they exercise outdoors. *Dopamine*, also known as the “feel-good” hormone, is one of the major chemicals that is replaced by your brain when you exercise. Dopamine is great as it promotes happiness and positive feelings. Dopamine is a reward chemical in the brain, which is released when good things happen, like winning a game, earning something, or falling in love. Dopamine gives you a feeling of euphoria and bliss. When you exercise, your body releases more dopamine to reward you for physical activity.

Endorphins are another one of the chemicals that your brain releases when you exercise that is often cited as a reason for improved mood and happiness associated with exercise. Endorphins are chemicals that decrease your perception of pain, as well as triggering positive feelings in the body. Endorphins make you feel happy and can fight depression. They can also help you reduce stress, boost your self-esteem, and improve your sleep, since they are also a minor sedative. Consider exercising more regularly for the positive effects that endorphins can have on your mental health.

Norepinephrine is also one of the chemicals that is released by your brain when you exercise. Norepinephrine is a chemical and neurotransmitter that plays a role in concentrations, energy, and regulating sleep and wake cycles. Norepinephrine works to increase the heart rate, boost attention and focus, and helps with mood, promoting positive feelings and causing euphoria. Norepinephrine helps to fight the sedative impact of some of the other chemicals released during exercise to keep you boosted with enough energy to handle your workout.

3. Taking Risks Children can learn how to handle getting hurt and failing by taking risks outside, which can build confidence and problem-solving ability in many situations. This is hard for parents, because we always want our kids to be safe, but if we don’t ever let them take risks and get outside their comfort zone, they’ll never know what they can accomplish, and they may never acquire the confidence and bravery to face life’s inevitable risks, according to a study done by Harvard Medical School.

4. *Socialization* The more kids socialize, the more they can learn from other kids and learn how to participate in a conversation and build confidence in a social setting, according to a study done by the Almanac Society. In order for children to learn how to work together, learn to make friends, learn how to share and cooperate, learn how to treat other people, they need to interact in more than just very structured settings, such as school or sports teams, they need to engage in free play where they are creating and running the games themselves.

5. Executive Function Also found in the aforementioned study by Harvard Medical School, these are the skills that help us plan, prioritize, troubleshoot, negotiate, and multitask; they are crucial for our success. Creativity falls in here, too, and using our imagination to problem-solve and entertain ourselves. These are skills that must be learned and practiced — and to do this, children need unstructured time. They need time alone and with other children, and to be allowed (perhaps forced) to make up their own games, figure things out, and amuse themselves. Being outside gives them opportunities to practice these important life skills.

6. Development In a study done by CBC/Radio Canada, evidence shows outdoor play as a child has a significant effect on the development of mental and emotional traits that prepare one for a successful and healthy adulthood. Previous generations grew up with their parents telling them to go outside and play and don’t come home until I call you. So, the kids developed imagination, played with kids in the neighborhood and developed problem solving skills.

“Physical activity is very important for the healthy development of your child during the first six years of life. It is even more important in the first three years of life when brain development is accelerated," the ministry says on its website. "As children get older, physical activity plays a key role in their ability to learn and it improves cognitive function, concentration, self-esteem, social skills and mood."

Social media and video games are a big deterrent to getting kids outside. Joey Tremblay, 10, spends and average of two hours each day playing video games at home. “I like playing video games more than outside because you get to do whatever you want.” His dad says the time spent inside playing video games is affecting his son’s behavior. It affects his son’s ability to socialize, share and problem solve.“ Their problem-solving and decision making skills aren’t being developed to their full extent. A young brain is highly impressionable, and when a child chooses video games over regular play, that should be a red flag for parents. The younger a person starts gaming the more vulnerable they are to a severe addiction.

7. *Exercise* You’re probably saying to yourself, this is the obvious one, but hear us out, we’ll breakdown some reasons why. According to the Almanac Society, children between the ages of 5 and 15 should play outside an average of 2 hours per day. Regular outdoor play has also been shown to lower the risk of childhood obesity and type II diabetes. When you play or exercise, a hormone is secreted from the hypothalamus gland in the brain, which is a mood booster.

According to Dr. Singh, the main culprit restricting kids from playing outdoors is social media. “Instead of interacting or playing with their peers face-to-face, children prefer to do so virtually. Their ability to adjust in real time, in a real environment lowers and their tolerance level decreases. Parents need to be friends with their kids, not just scold them all the time. It is important to guide them instead. One should not stop kids from engaging in social media completely, instead online time should be regulated.”

Exercise or physical activity is especially important because it helps control weight, reduces blood pressure, raises HDL (or "good") cholesterol, reduces the risk of diabetes and some kinds of cancer and improves psychological well-being of a child, according to the American Heart Association.

8. Sunshine According to Harvard Health, our bodies need sun. We need sun exposure to make vitamin D, a vitamin that plays a crucial role in many body processes, from bone development to our immune system. Sun exposure also plays a role our immune system in other ways, as well as in healthy sleep — and in our mood. Our bodies work best when they get some sunshine every day.

9. Nature Appreciation What is less often studied is what impact the trend of children staying indoors might have on the environmental consciousness of future generations. Environmentalists often point to youth as future stewards of the natural world. Will their sense of stewardship decrease as their level of connection to nature decreases? If our children grow up without ever walking in the woods, jumping in a puddle, playing in a stream, climbing a tree, seeing animals in their habitat, digging in the dirt, lifting a log or rock to see a worm or bug underneath it, staring at a seemingly endless ocean that goes past the horizon or blue skies so vast it’s hard to imagine enough birds in the world to fill it, they may never really understand what there is to be lost.

Conclusion

As parents, it’s scary to think of how many negative mental, emotional and physical side effects are associated with a lack of outdoor play. The good news is whether you want your child to get lessons in coping with success and failure, develop a healthy mental state, reduce their anxiety and depression, learn how to take risks safely, build social skills, foster executive function, get some physical exercise and vitamin D, or learn to appreciate the natural world that we live in, playing outside 1-2 hours per day will help them in all these areas. Many experts agree, limiting exposure to social media, video game play, and time on other devices will cut out a lot of the distractions that keep your kids from venturing outside. Inspire them to play outside with friends by passing along some ideas of games to play, like these ones created by the Back B4 Dinner team, and even encourage them to use their imagination and create games on their own. Either way, let’s get our kids back outside! How often do your children play outside?