{"id":7590,"date":"2012-10-15T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2012-10-15T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/togethercounts.com\/mom-was-right-after-all-go-outside-and-play\/"},"modified":"2012-10-15T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"2012-10-15T00:00:00","slug":"mom-was-right-after-all-go-outside-and-play","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/togethercounts.com\/es\/mom-was-right-after-all-go-outside-and-play\/","title":{"rendered":"Mom was Right, After All: Go Outside and Play!"},"content":{"rendered":"

Celebrate Take it Outside Week October 14 \u2013 20th\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

<\/em>For many of us, the phrase \u201cGo outside and play!\u201d has deep roots in our histories and memories. In fact, it\u2019s almost part of our DNA. We were much more likely to spend after school playing backyard games and going on neighborhood adventures with our friends than we were to be sat in front of a television or enrolled in an after school enrichment program. We moved, created our own games and fun, and leaned to solve our own conflicts when they arose. We ran, jumped, climbed, and used our outdoor voices. In short, we were kids<\/em> \u2013 in all the messy and perpetual-motion glory that should come with childhood.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

But somewhere over the past 20 years that unplugged, naturally-active form of childhood has been replaced with a sedentary, overly-scheduled existence that is leaving our children unhealthy and unhappy. And sadly, we are seeing the evidence of this in America\u2019s youngest children.<\/p>\n

(see also LOL – Love an Outdoor Life<\/a>)<\/strong><\/p>\n

Twenty-two million children under five in the United States are overweight \u2013 five million of these are obese (National Institutes of Health<\/a>). At the same time, children under five are the fastest growing population using antidepressants today (Journal of Psychiatric Services<\/em>). Often, media attention focuses on nutrition alone as the solution to what ails today\u2019s children. But there is another vital part of the solution and it is really quite simple: Go outside and play! <\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Just like eating our greens and wearing a hat when it\u2019s cold, it turns out our mothers were right after all. Kids who play outside are happier, healthier, and stronger! According to research (Fjortoft 2004; Burdette and Whitaker 2005), children who play outdoors regularly:<\/p>\n