Resolving to get the kids outside more is one resolution that doesn't have to cost a penny, and can do much more than simply detach your kids from electronic devices.
According to a survey by the Kaiser Family Fund and published in the 2010 report from the Children and Nature Network, children ages 8 to 18 spend more than 7 1/2 hours a day on electronic media, or more than 53 hrs per week.
As a result, our children are suffering.
Dr. Paul Dykema, a Michigan pediatrician, is quoted in the same report saying a "lack of outdoor, unstructured and imaginative play is a significant contributor" to obesity, type 2 Diabetes, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD), anxiety and depression.
So, what's the prescription? Go outside and play for at least one to two hours a day, according to the report.
This "can be as easy as opening a back door," the report states, but many parents hesitate, with safety as their number one concern.
Outdoor play ideas
- visit neighborhood playground after school
- regular family walks around the block
- go sledding when it snows
- take make-believe outside
- chase lightning bugs
The Children and Nature Network encourages families to form Family Nature Clubs, in which an organized group of families regulary participate in outdoor adventures together. More people means a higher feeling of security and brings added knowledge to the table. A toolkit to help families form Family Nature Clubs is available on the Children and Nature Network's website.
The listing of Family Nature Clubs does not include any in New Jersey, even though this is the Garden State and there are many places to experience nature from the shore to local farms.
Families in South Jersery should set time aside to visit these parks as part of their outdoor resolution (all free to visit, donations welcomed):
- Boundary Creek Natural Resource Area, on Creek Road in Moorestown, is a small-size park with trails perfect for the younger ones and even strollers.
- Palmyra Nature Cove Park, at the base of the Tacony-Palmyra Bridge off of Rt. 73, has trails through wetlands and woodlands.
- Rancocas Nature Center, 794 Rancocas Mount Holly Rd., Westampton, is run by the NJ Audubon Society. There are trails though butterfly gardens and woods, allowing for a variety of discovery.
- Timber Creek Park, Chews Landing Road in Gloucester Twp., has adventurous trails, dog parks and even a playground (the Treehouse) that blends in the woods environment.
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