How to Get Your Kid to Spend More Time Outside
Long gone are the days when your parents used to shout at you multiple times to get inside the house after spending hours in front of the house or building, playing with your friends, and having a good time.
Nowadays, most children won’t go out and play anymore and would rather stick inside and play video games or spend endless hours on their mobile phones and tablets. For years now, psychologists have warned parents that spending too much time hooked in a virtual world will determine children to become more introverts and lack basic social communication skills.
But how many hours is too much? Depending on the age of your child, it can be anything from one hour to more than four or five per day. So, how do you encourage your kids to leave their tech devices aside and spend more time outside, enjoying nature and everything it has to offer? Here are some tricks that should work.
Get your kid to choose a physical activity
He or she may not be into football, baseball or karate but this doesn’t mean that they won’t like other sports or physical activities like dancing, ballet, ping-pong, tennis, trekking or swimming. The idea is to have your kid try out new sports and activities with a positive impact on the body and mind.
And, since over 60% of the American teenagers are either overweight or obese, we reckon a physical activity will help children and teenagers lose weight, increase self-esteem, and even battle anxiety, loneliness, sleeping disorders or depression.
Invest in some outdoor gadgets
Your kids can’t stay away from technology? Bring some of it into your backyard while still encouraging the children to stay active, fit, and healthy. If you choose wisely, you may get your kids hooked up so much on these devices that they will even skip dinner just to stay one more hour outside.
E-skateboards or scooters are just some of the devices that are techy enough to stimulate your kid’s interest and keep him or her outside. Once they know how to ride these gizmos, you can cultivate their interest by investing in some scooter ramps. These products will increase the level of difficulty, teaching your kids how to do tricks, improve their balance, and even exercise.
The best thing is that you can easily mount them in your backyard, meaning you will also get to supervise your kid while performing the tricks and assist with minor accidents and injuries.
Take your kids camping
Camping trips in remote areas where there is no cellphone service can be a suicide mission if your children are teenagers. However, they represent the perfect opportunity to bond and spend some quality time outside, gazing at the stars, eating family meals, and breathing fresh air.
If you want to make things more entertaining for the little ones, don’t forget to also bring board games, sports accessories, and fishing gear. Some children might like the idea, others might want to hunt you down for taking them away from their devices. Embrace your chances and hope for the best.
If you want to turn the odds in your favor, allowing your children to bring their friends would be a smart decision. This way, they won’t feel forced to spend their entire weekend with you and other adults and can do fun things with children their own age. Who knows, they may even be interested in picking up a sport, an outdoor activity or even help with grilling or cooking tasks.