{"id":7550,"date":"2012-04-09T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2012-04-09T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/togethercounts.com\/lol-love-an-outdoor-life\/"},"modified":"2012-04-09T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"2012-04-09T00:00:00","slug":"lol-love-an-outdoor-life","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/togethercounts.com\/es\/lol-love-an-outdoor-life\/","title":{"rendered":"LOL (Love an Outdoor Life)"},"content":{"rendered":"

In the 21<\/span>st<\/sup>\u00a0century, technology is childhood\u2019s constant companion, acting as everything from a big-screen babysitter so a toddler\u2019s mom can take a shower, to an integral aspect of teens\u2019 social and academic life. A typical day for school-age kids likely includes early-morning texting from the bus stop, video games and social media after school,<\/span>\u00a0<\/strong>television viewing\u00a0before bed, listening to music on their smart phones and more texting after lights out.<\/span>\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

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Kids today spend on average more than\u00a0seven hours each day in front of electronic media<\/strong><\/a>. In contrast, they spend only\u00a0minutes per day\u00a0in unstructured outdoor activities, like climbing trees, building forts, playing hide and seek or bike riding on a sunny afternoon. The kind of activities that only a generation ago were as much a part of the fabric of childhood as Wii, Facebook and Angry Birds are today.<\/p>\n

The importance of media in today\u2019s world is indisputable, but a sky\u2019s-the-limit approach to technology can have a powerful downside for kids if it\u2019s not tempered with something more down to earth. Children who spend too much time indoors in front of electronic screens are simply not as active. They\u2019re also missing out on profound mood effects of outdoor time: studies show that stress levels fall within minutes of going outside. In this fast-paced world, spending time in nature helps kids focus, reducing symptoms in children suffering from Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). In addition, free play teaches kids to share, cooperate and resolve problems.<\/p>\n

It is too simplistic to romanticize the \u201cgood old days\u201d and advocate a return to a time before technology when kids roamed freely. It\u2019s a new world, with new challenges. But there are ways to help kids use technology in a manner that benefits them most while reaping the benefits of outdoor play.<\/p>\n

6 Suggestions for Outside Play<\/strong><\/h3>\n

1. Go Geocaching:<\/strong>\u00a0Take your kids on an outdoor adventure that combines popular GPS technology and a treasure hunt. Don’t have a GPS? There are several smart phone apps that can do the trick. Learn more at\u00a0www.rangerricktrails.com<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n

2. Transform favorite online game into real ones:<\/strong>\u00a0Try this fun Angry Birds outdoor adaptation: You\u2019ll need old shoe boxes, paper cups, magic markers and rubber balls. Build a wall out of shoe boxes, then set up some paper cups along the wall to represent the Pigs in the game (your kids can draw pigs onto the paper cups too). Have your children take turns throwing rubber balls representing the Angry Birds at the paper cups, or Pigs. Have fun and be creative!<\/p>\n

3. Play Seek and Find:<\/strong>\u00a0Have your child research your family\u2019s next outdoor adventure by searching online with\u00a0NatureFind<\/strong><\/a>, which offers location information for wonderful parks, hiking trails and other outdoor recreational spots near your home when you input your zip code. Pack water, snacks or lunch and venture out to\u00a0find nature in your neighborhood<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n

4. Picture This:<\/strong>\u00a0Take photos of nature with your child and upload them to\u00a0Ranger Rick\u2019s Nature Photo Contest<\/strong><\/a>. There\u2019s no deadline and great prizes, so go out in each season and snap away.<\/p>\n

5. Tweeting is for the birds:<\/strong>\u00a0Scope out local birds, or other interesting wildlife, in your backyard and log onto\u00a0Wildlife Watch<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0to share your findings with others.<\/p>\n

6. There\u2019s an app for that:<\/strong>\u00a0Enjoy some of the many nature and wildlife-related apps available on your smart phone, including:<\/p>\n