20 years ago when we were children, most of our time was spent outside running around and playing with our friends. Today, however, most children prefer to play indoors rather than outside, leaving us worrying that they’re not spending enough time being active. The fact is that outdoor playtime is important for kids, it always has been, and it always will be. Playing outside allows children to socialize with others, learn life skills, stay in shape, and most importantly, use their imaginations.

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Photo from Pixabay

The problem is that a lot of children prefer to play video games or watch TV rather than playing outside. As parents, the question is, what can we do? The key to encouraging your kids to spend more time outside is to make outdoor play more fun – below are some simple

ideas for doing that:

Make your garden a more child-friendly space
The first step to encouraging your child to spend more time outside is to make your backyard a more child-friendly space. Your garden needs to be able to compete with video games in terms of how fun it is, so you need to make an effort to create a space that your child is sure to love. If they don’t already have a play frame – think swings, a slide, monkey bars, a fireman’s pole, etc. – get them one. When it comes to finding that perfect play frame, there are plenty of specialist websites to choose from. To get an idea of the best sites to buy from, blogs like Backyard Ville can be useful resources – check it out today to get an idea of the best play frames for kids. As well as a play frame, a trampoline, sand pit, and some form of water play is a great way to get kids to love spending time outdoors.

Swap computer games for outdoor toys

Come birthdays and Christmas, don’t buy your child computer games and DVDs, instead get them outdoor toys. Think bikes, rollerblades (or roller skates if they’re little), skateboards, scooters, jump ropes, balls – the list could go on and on. The fact is, the more exciting playing outside seems to kids, the more likely they are to lead more active lives. So it’s worth investing in a bike for your child or those new rollerblades they want – it’s better than treating them to a new computer game because these sorts of toys encourage them to lead more active lives and spend more time outdoors.

Lead by example

It’s been said before, and we’ll say it again, kids learn a lot from us – aka their parents. When it comes to how a child behaves, a large part of their behavior is linked to their parents. So, if you want your child to spend more time playing outside, you need to encourage them to do so by leading by example. This doesn’t mean riding your bike around the block or attempting to rollerblade along the pavement by your house; it simply means being a family that spends a lot of time outdoors. Think camping trips, hiking activities, family bike rides – there are plenty of ways you can be a more outdoorsy family.

So, there you have it, how to encourage your kids to spend more time outdoors, instead of cooped up inside playing on their games console.