Many of your childhood memories likely involve time spent outdoors playing and exploring. If you close your eyes and think back, a few of your favorite moments probably flashed through your memory. You might remember having fun building forts with your siblings or sledding with your friends. Do your kids enjoy getting outside to play? What memories of time spent in the great outdoors will they have?

As a kid, you likely were turned loose to roam and play outside with your friends. In today’s world, sending kids out alone without an adult can be scary. Activities centered around screens may also make outdoor time a challenge. However, finding ways to get your kids outside to enjoy some fresh air and fun is still important. The great part about emphasizing outdoor time for your kids is that it can be just as good for you.

Keep reading to learn more about why kids need more time outdoors.

1. Confidence Building

Getting out in nature to explore can build a child’s confidence. They learn to navigate and take some risks while climbing and playing. Something as simple as climbing the rock wall to the top of the fort might boost a child’s self-esteem. Learning to pump their legs on the swing sets at the park may help them feel big.

Falling off or being unable to do something allows them to experience failure. Learning to handle this disappointment healthily is an important life skill. They will also learn to try again or differently through failure and trials. Knowing how to process these difficult situations without throwing a fit is a huge asset in life. Experiencing setbacks and failures often makes success later on that much sweeter.

2. Development Skills

Many life skills that fall into the executive functioning realm can be learned through outdoor play. These cognitive processes help people with the coordination and control needed to complete actions. Problem-solving and creativity are big parts of this, too. Having time to run and make up new games builds this skill set.

Getting your kids outdoors opens them to a world of possibilities. Try to let them take it in without over-structuring the activity. Sit back and watch a stick become a sword or the swings become a pirate ship sailing the open seas. A sheet and a low limb might become a tent on an expedition. You’ll be amazed while witnessing their imagination soar.

3. Exercising

One key to a healthy lifestyle is exercise. The outdoors offers numerous options for play and physical activity. From nature hikes to bike rides and chasing soccer balls, there are so many fun ways to get moving. Kids need an hour of active time each day, and getting them out and about helps them achieve that goal.

Recess and PE are great ways for kids to stay active at school. They may need a little convincing to get outside when they’re at home. You can go with them, get in your steps, and exercise! Even in fall and winter, when the daylight hours are shorter, some time outdoors is better than none. And if there’s a chill in the air, grab their warm hats and coats and send them out to play.

4. Basking in the Sun

One great thing about being outside is the sun. Both you and your kids can benefit from a little sunlight and the vitamin D it provides. Sunlight is helpful to so many of your body’s natural processes. Did you know it can boost your immune system? Time in the sun may also improve your mood and impact seasonal effectiveness disorder.

Now, with all the greatness of the sun, there are risks. You must take proper precautions to protect yourself. Make sure you wear sunscreen and protective clothing like hats and sunglasses. Sunburns not only hurt but can cause lasting skin damage and could contribute to skin cancer. Dress appropriately and enjoy some time basking in the sun.

5. Learning to Enjoy Nature

Getting out to enjoy and learn about nature gives kids an appreciation of the natural world. Watching butterflies dance through the wildflowers or fish jump in the stream allows them to experience the life around them. There’s something about climbing a hill and seeing the view of the valley below. Nature’s beauty and the natural colors of the sky are nothing short of awe-inspiring.

Exploring outdoors can teach children more about the planet and how it works. This knowledge will often grow with them and help them become better stewards of resources. Finding bottles or trash in the creek might aid in their understanding of why littering is bad. It may also encourage them to protect these outdoor spaces so their kids can enjoy them one day.

Help your kids make happy memories outdoors like you did. Let them run, and play, and dig, and explore. Join them on their adventures. It’s good for your mind, body, and soul. And it will give you the bonus of being at the center of those core outdoor memories with your kids.

How fun would it be to hike the same trails or ski the same slopes with your grandchildren someday, too? The moments you create with them are good for their health and will change their lives. You can help create a family culture of embracing the outdoors and being active.

Published by: Josh Tatunay