Children Should Spend Several Hours A Day Outdoors

Children Should Spend Several Hours A Day Outdoors

A survey conducted by United Minds showing 7 out of 10 parents want their kids to spend more time outside.  

The survey asked a little more than 1000 parents about their attitudes to children spending time outdoors. 69% of the responding parents want their kids to spend more time outdoors, and 75% said that they themselves want to spend more time outside.

The survey also shows parents deem the kids who are playing outside a few hours a day to be less stressed.

Spending time outside for children is important due to several reasons:

Physical activity

Children who do not spend time outdoors are not moving around as much. Physical activity is crucial to health. Sitting still at a young age could lead to obesity, diabetes, asthma and cardio vascular related diseases.  These symptoms can appear when children are young but can also appear as grownups.

Regulation of appetite

Children who do not play outside do not get the same normal appetite, lack of outdoors activity can increase the risk of obesity.

Sleep

Physical activity impacts sleep. Kids who play outside and move around a lot sleep better.

Infections

Kids who spend time outside do not run the same risk being exposed to infections as kids spending time indoors.

In addition, Vitamin D is important to health and we get 80% of our vitamin D from the sun.

The rest of the survey showing parents experience they have to nag their children to get them outside and that four out of ten parents wish they had better routines to get their kids outdoors. Not surprisingly, parents wish to limit children’s time in front of screens.