Growing up in a small town, I would often head out the door in the morning to play in the bay with my friends or head to the park. I remember calling back over my shoulder “See ya later, Mom!” as I was running down the driveway. My husband recalls leaving the house early morning and spending all day out on their acerage coming back when it was time for supper. Back in those days life seemed simpler.
Life just isn’t quite that simple anymore. Children don’t spend as much time outdoors fascinated by the world of technology, and I as a mother am not as keen about letting my children run around town at their ages.
A recent Ipsos poll conducted on behalf of Canadian Tire shows that technology (63%) and safety concerns (50%) are the biggest inhibitors to letting kids play freely. Three quarters (74%) of Canadian parents also say that their kids play differently than they did as a kid.
Parents say their favourite memories include biking to a friend’s house (74%) or swimming all day (52%). Only seven per cent say they stayed indoors and watched TV. One in 10 parents (10%) also confess that their kids aren’t active and won’t participate in any physical activity.
Canadian Tire is encouraging all Canadian, especially kids, to get out and play! Here are 5 ways to get your kids outside and moving:
#1) Go for a walk. This simple, tried but true, outside activity gets kids and adults exploring the world around them.
#2) Play catch. Find a variety of different types of balls (balloons work great too!) and spend some time seeing how far you can throw them to each person without dropping them.
#3) Bike/Scoot. Take sometime to feel the wind in your hair with a bike ride or scooter ride!
#4) Plan a nature scavenger hunt. Head to your back yard or near by park to see what you can find.
#5) Golf. Take your child into the back yard and swing some clubs with them, or head to a driving range to have a shooting contest.
What are your top tips for getting your kids outside?
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Aliya D
Sunday 2nd of August 2015
Free play is such an important thing! And its so sad that most kids don't get the proper amount of exercise, just through simple play (something that should come naturally to them). Thank you for the ideas.
LisaM
Wednesday 29th of July 2015
I love that commercial. It doesn't take an awful lot to encourage our kid to get outside but man oh man the heat kills me sometimes.
Ourfamilyworld
Monday 27th of July 2015
I agree that kids nowadays are not so active. That is why I make sure we do a lot of outdoor activities during the summer.
Jennifer (momvstheboys)
Friday 24th of July 2015
Our boys got scooters for their birthdays and ride them any chance they can get, even indoors
Bonnie Way
Friday 24th of July 2015
These are great ideas! Like you, I remember spending my summers growing up outside... either playing baseball or other games with my brothers and friends or biking around the block together. My girls are all under 7 so if they're outside, I have to be with them still. We try to head to the park regularly or get out biking as a family. This summer, the outdoor pool and splash park are close so we've been having fun there. :) Thanks for sharing these ideas!