Doctors and scientists alike agree that one of the best things we can do for a child at any age is to send them outside to play! Children need that time outside for so many reasons; not only for their physical health, but like Dr. Staci Bolton mentioned this past week on Wire Talk, also for their mental and emotional health. Sadly, our society continues to become more and more sedentary, and our kids are reaping the consequences of this trend.

With your children home from school these days, are you sending them outside to play more than you used to? I think that right now we have a rare opportunity to reset our kids’ schedules for the better. Without early morning wake up calls or afternoons packed full with after-school activities, they have the time and the opportunity to get outside way more than they used to. Here in the southeast we are having a beautiful spring (although I know some of you in the Midwest just got a surprise snowfall!) so there really is no excuse not to send your kids outside. When my kids were little I would send them outside after lunch into our fenced-in backyard, lock the door, and make them stay outside for at least an hour!

They may push back at first because it’s something new, but once outside play becomes a regular part of everyday, don’t be surprised if you have to force them to come in for dinner.