Outdoor play seen as essential for healthy child growth

It may be a good idea for parents to work at getting their children to play outdoors. That’s because studies show the benefits of active play extend far beyond fun and games.

"Outdoor play is a fun and fundamental part of children’s cognitive, social and physical development," said Dr. Rhonda Clements, president of the American Association for the Child’s Right to Play.

"Providing frequent active play opportunities is an effective way to help children relieve stress, challenge their leadership skills and increase an appreciation of nature."

Yet the recent Wisk Active Play Survey found only 31 percent of mothers said their children play outdoors often. To offer solutions to parents, Dr. Clements recently collaborated with Wisk Laundry Detergent to produce the Active Play Guide, a "how-to" for parents who want to encourage their children to play outdoors. The guide offers these tips:

•Be Wild, Be Free: Vigorous outdoor play activity can help relieve your child’s stress in a constructive manner. Letting your child get dirty, play free and run wild, while remaining in a supervised area, can serve as a positive release.

•Variety and Goal Setting Are Keys: Many outdoor play settings offer opportunities for children to run, jump, climb, skip and use large muscles freely and with vigor-this is important exercise during formative years. Organize a relay race with friends, use chalk to see how high your child can climb or measure how far groups of children can jump.

•Give Kids a Choice: Allowing your child to choose outdoor activity gives them an increased sense of responsibility and freedom, which can make active play more appealing. It also encourages him or her to expand their imagination.

•Make it Creative: There are treasures and lessons to be learned in your backyard. Gather plant life to make creative life collages-a blade of grass, a maple leaf, rose petals, and tiny sticks. Children can learn the names of different flowers and even create an album with their finds.

This story was provided by the North American Precis Syndicate.