Kids & Play

Kids are now spending too much time indoors and not enough time in nature, especially unstructured play – which means, mums and dads, we need to get out of the way sometimes and let kids play freely outdoors without hovering over them. (For more tips on how parents can create safe, outdoor play, click here).

As parents, most of us know the benefits of getting our kids outside to play, yet there are many obstacles: increasing use of indoor screen-based activities (TV, video games, computers, mobile devices); concerns about public safety; perceived risks over children injuring themselves; increased traffic and road dangers; and even our own attitudes as parents for preferring our kids to be inside most of the time where we can see them.

At the same time, growing numbers of children are spending substantial time in settings that focus on structured educational and recreational activities, leaving little time for participation in open-ended, self-initiated free play.

We’re on the way to ‘over-scheduling’ our kids’ childhood. We need to Unjunk our kids’ time so they can enjoy more unstructured play and more time in nature.