Are your children loving the warm weather?

In Minnesota, the temperature has finally reached the fifties and we are loving it!!!!  The kids were able to get out their bikes, shovels, buckets, bubbles and sidewalk chalk.  Their mood has improved and they drop at night from all of the fresh air and exercise.

The rule at our house is that after school they need to play outside.  They can go in the house to drop off their backpacks, change clothes and have a snack.  Once these things are done, they have to be outside.  This is their time to enjoy the outdoors before the evening chores of dinner, homework, baths, etc must be done.

I think it is important to have children play outside.  There is no reason why kids should be playing video games or watching TV after school.  Outdoor play has the benefits of physical activity, vitamin D, exploration and creativity.  Parents need to make sure their children have time to play outside.

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Have you read Harold and the Purple Crayon with your children?

2010 marks the 50th anniversary of this wonderful children’s book.  If we take a look at how times have changed in the last 50 years, we will notice a lack of purple crayons in the hands of children.

Many children today lack the ability to be creative.  Their days are filled with so many structured activities that their ability to play and create on their own has become jeopardized.

Studies from the University of Michigan point out that since the late 1970s, children have lost 12 hours per week in free time, including a 25 percent drop in play and a 50 percent drop in unstructured outdoor activities.  For more alarming statistics on play, check out these articles:

Development Experts Say children Suffer Due to Lack of Unstructured Fun.

Lack of Playtime Hurts Childrens’ Creativity

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