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10 TIPS TO KEEP YOUR KIDS ACTIVE THIS SUMMER Ah, the great outdoors. A place where children play, discover, and learn plenty of valuable life lessons. At least it used to be that way. But research shows a troubling trend away from play outdoors, with kids spending more than six hours a day in front of a screen, and only an average of seven minutes a day in unstructured outdoor playtime doing things like building forts, climbing trees, or exploring local plants and wildlife. Simultaneously, there is an increase in the number of children suffering from mental health diagnoses, such as anxiety, depression, and ADHD. “As a pediatrician, I see how prevalent mental illness is,” says Dr. Cindy Gellner, a board-certified pediatrician at University of Utah Health. “Mental illness seems to be on the rise in children; in fact, one in four children has a mental health diagnosis.” Getting kids outside can have several benefits for overall health and mental wellness (and perhaps help with parents’ sanity too). In addition to physical fitness, outdoor play leads to better school performance, more creativity, lower levels of depression and hyperactivity, better sleep, and the ability to learn how to work and socialize with others, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics.
How Parents Can Encourage More Outdoor Time
As summer arrives in Utah, here are some ways to keep kids active. 1. Create a “summer bucket list” with activities you want to accomplish that don’t involve screens, such as swimming, hiking, fishing or visits to local parks. 2. Balance screen time with indoor or outdoor play, requiring that kids spend an equal amount of time off screens as they do playing video games, watching shows, or being on social media; use a timer or an app like Zift or Screen Time so kids know when screen time is up. 3. Create a sticker chart where kids can track outdoor play time, and reward them with a special activity like an ice cream date if they hit specific goals. 4. Have outdoor activities readily available and easy for kids to find whenever they go outside to play, such as bicycles, skateboards or scooters, outdoor games, or even something as simple as some shovels and buckets to dig in the mud. 5. Create a small garden in the yard or the windowsill where kids can plant food, plants, or flowers, and watch them grow.
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