Top 10 ways to get your kids back outside

June 22, 10:45 AMAtlanta Northside Family & Parenting ExaminerJackie Kass

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Pull the plug and get your kids outside

The current generation of children is simply too plugged in to the latest gadgets and electronic wizardy. Nintendo, cell phones, iPods, Game Boys…oh my, the list of things that distract your kid from the business of just being a kid goes on and on. In fact, a recent Kaiser Family Foundation study found that kids spend, on average, six hours per day with electronic media.

You probably recall your own childhood summers with fond memories. For me, summer meant riding our bikes for miles, only to come home for dinner and bed. Those lazy days of summer seem to be fading away quickly as our own children can’t seem to stray too far from an electrical outlet. This quandary is so severe that author Richard Louv coined it “nature-deficit syndrome” in his book Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children from Nature-Deficit Disorder.

So how can a typical parent compete with the latest and greatest electronics when trying to push our kids out the door and back outside where they belong? It’s all in the presentation! Here are some do-able and fun things to suggest to your kids to pull the plug and get them outside.

1. Build a fort – You supply the sheets, and kids gather sticks and whatnots to build their very own fort in your backyard.
2. Start-up a game of kickball – Remember this favorite pastime? Call some of your neighbors, and organize a game of kickball. When the adults join in, the excitement is too high for most kids to ass up.
3. Make your own bird feeder – There are a ton of homemade craft ideas for making your own bird feeders on the internet. Spend time making one with your kids, then encourage them to sit outside to see all its new visitors.
4. Buy a season pass to a nature center – Your local nature center has so much to offer, including free courses and classes for members. In Atlanta, the biggest nature center is the Chattahoochee Nature Center, and currently family memberships for one year cost just $65.
5. Go on a photo safari – You don’t need to travel to distant jungles to capture great nature photos. Simply peering through a camera lens is a great way to see the world around you from a fresh perspective. You can even make a scrapbook at the end of the summer of all your great shots.
6. Play night games – Do you remember playing “capture the flag" as a kid? I do! Why not encourage your kids to play this game at dusk? The weather is definitely cooler, and a hint of mystery is added once the sun goes down. Another option is flashlight tag.
7. Enjoy low-tech wonders – Enjoying the great outdoors can be as simpoly as making a daisy chain or skipping stones on a lake or pond. The key is to open the door, walk through it and get back to the simple pleasures of nature.
8. Host a backyard campout – Invite the neighborhood kids for a friendly campout. This is also a great idea for a birthday party. Can you really stomach another party at Chuck E Cheese anyway?
9. Plant a small garden – Gardening is a great family activity that can also be a science lesson. Even if you have just a small area, get the kids to help you with planting and caring for your garden. Kids love to see things grow!
10. Make a mud pie - While this may sound messy, research has shown that old fashioned dirt play exposes children to a myriad of bacteria, viruses and microbes that strengthen their immune systems. It’s easy to dedicate a small portion of your yard as a digging station. And don’t worry, dirty clothes can be easily cleaned.

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