Breaking News!

Breaking News: Playing Outside is Good for Kids!

I can hear you already. You're saying, "Yeah...and?" But here's the deal.
Kids these days aren't getting outdoors enough.


Let's look at the benefits of unstructured outdoor play for children:

• Promotion of social, cognitive, physical, and emotional well-being
• Growth in self-confidence and self-esteem
• Better problem solving and appropriate risk taking
• Cooperative and creative thinking
• Deeper development of natural knowledge
• More closely connected to place and environment

We hear it from our doctors, public health staff, teachers, and researchers: Your kids need to get outside for all these reasons and more. Somehow, however, our children are spending more time than ever indoors. Although we have local, state, and national parks, bike trails, playgrounds, and other avenues for outdoor recreation, families across the area are staying inside.

In this column, I hope to highlight the importance of outdoor time for children, tackle the barriers that we face in getting kids outside, and provide resources and opportunities for folks who want to help our community's children explore the great outdoors. As a disclaimer, I work as the Environmental Education Director for Shetek Lutheran Ministries and will occasionally highlight the different outdoor programs and events we offer at camp, while also providing relevant and current information about other local outdoor pursuits and opportunities for kids. Please visit my blog for stories, pictures, printables, guest interviews, Pinterest projects, links, and more: shetekelc.blogspot.com, and stay tuned to our Facebook page for happenings at camp: www.facebook.com/shetekELC!

Lydia and Francis, Tettegouche State Park