Experts are forever telling us how beneficial time spent playing outdoors is for our children – not only is it great for their physical and social development, but it’s also important for their health.
This is why so many are shocked by new statistics revealing that a staggering three-quarters of children in the UK spend less time outside than prison inmates.
The survey, commissioned by Persil to launch its ‘Dirt is Good’ campaign, analysed the data of 2,000 parents of children aged between five and 12 years of age. Researchers used the data collected to study how much – or, in this case, how little – time kids are spending out in the fresh air, and the results have proven more than a little alarming.
The most concerning statistic showed that 74% of kids are spending less than 60 minutes playing outside each day – worrying, when you consider that, under UN guidelines, prisoners are required to get ‘at least one hour of suitable exercise in the open air daily’.
Furthermore, the study showed that a fifth of children are not playing outside AT ALL on an average day.
So, what is preventing our children from embracing the great outdoors and playing in the fresh air? According to this survey, it’s our notoriously unreliable weather, with a whopping 82% of parents surveyed admitting that this is what keeps their little ones from running around outside on a regular basis.
Other factors preventing children from playing outside include a lack of time, and the kids themselves preferring to stay inside and play on their games consoles and tech gadgets.
What are your thoughts? What should be done to turn this around?
