Do Children Play Outside Anymore?
I remember growing up and playing outside was an everyday thing. All children played outside every day. We couldn’t wait to get off the bus, change into play clothes and head outside. Weekends were spent outdoors the entire day. When my children were growing up they would spend hours outside playing with their friends in the neighborhood. Today, it is mostly silent outside. Luckily, some kids still get the pleasure and health benefits of playing outside every day. Sadly, many children are kept inside, hour after hour, day after day. One organization now says kids have a vitamin N deficiency. Or a nature deficiency as they never get to play outside and enjoy nature. These observations are not just borne out by looking around one’s neighborhood, they have also been confirmed in a recent study in the Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine (April 2, 2012). The researchers studied ...