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We’re sure that over the years your parents have said (or yelled) the words “go play outside” more than once.

With the ever growing dependency on screens and other technologies, are the times of grazed knees, muddy hands and grass stained shorts behind us? According to Voice of Play – absolutely not!

In a recent survey conducted amongst 1000 parents, the results showed that four in ten respondents (42%) say that their kids play four to six days per week, 30% play one to three days per week, 24% play every day. Eighty percent of parents said their kids enjoy playing outdoors significantly more than playing indoors, with 41 percent agreeing strongly with this statement. More than four in 10 parents (44 percent) said their children play outside for 2-3 hours, while 24 percent play less than one hour, 21 percent play one hour and 12 percent play more than three hours. Children with Millennial parents play outdoors the most, on average 2.23 hours, while Generation X (1.85 hours) and Baby Boomer parents (1.94 hours) said their kids log less time outside playing.


Kids Need to Get Outside

Experts say that kids between 12 to 36 months old should get at least 30 minutes of structured physical activity (adult-led) and at least 60 minutes of unstructured physical activity (free play) every day.

In what is somewhat of a surprising result, Millenial parents (who statistically are the most dependent on these new and emerging technologies) clocked in the most outside play time for their little ones. Whereas Gen X & the Boomers both fell under the 2-hour mark. Does this mean times are changing? How often did you play outside as a kid? All things we’d love to know!

 

SOURCES:

https://kidshealth.org/en/parents/active-toddler

2017 Survey on Play

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