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The NC Outdoor Learning Environments Alliance promotes outdoor play for families. Research shows that outdoor play benefits children's health, attention/focus, emotional/social development, language skills, and problem-solving abilities. Factors like safety concerns, lack of high-quality outdoor environments, and overemphasis on academics contribute to children's limited outdoor time. The consequences of this include declining physical fitness, rising obesity rates, increased attention issues, and reduced appreciation for the environment. Obesity is a critical health problem that affects both adults and children. Obese children are more likely to become obese adults and engage in sedentary activities. However, research suggests that exposure to nature and natural settings improves children's attention, behavior, and impulse control. Outdoor play also promotes family connections and friendships. Let's brainstorm ideas for outdoor activities!
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Making Family Connections ~~Outdoors~~
The NC Outdoor Learning Environments Alliance (NC OLE Alliance) is a group of concerned family and child agency representatives working together to encourage families to “PLAY OUTSIDE!”
What we know . . . We have always believed that it is healthy for children to play outdoors. An increasing body of research indicates HOW important outdoor play really is!
Myth or Fact? • Being outdoors cannot affect the obesity problem. • Pediatricians recommend no TV for children under age 2 • The outdoors can help your relationship with your child • TV has led to some poor results for children and families
Health Fitness Attention/Focus Emotional/Social development Social skills Language development Nature/science knowledge Complexity of play Problem-solving skills It is important for. . . and much more!
Why aren’t children going outside? • Safety concerns • Crime • Traffic • Rules, regulations, sanitation • Air quality – ozone days • Sun safety • Current conditions • Lack of high quality outdoor environments • Over-emphasis on academics
What are the consequences? • Decline in physical fitness • Rising childhood obesity rates, juvenile diabetes • Increase in attention issues • More allergies, asthma, respiratory illness • Children not learning to care for/appreciate the environment
Obesity is a concern for adults and children • Obesity is a critical health problem that has increased to serious effects on long term health.
Obesity Trends* Among U.S. Adults1991, 1996, 2004 1991 Obesity Trends* Among U.S. Adults1991, 1996, 2004 (*BMI 30, or about 30 lbs overweight for 5’4” person) 1996 2004 No Data <10% 10%–14% 15%–19% 20%–24% ≥25%
So what?! • Obese children lead to obese adults • Sedentary activities • The strongest predictor of physical activity among children is time spent outdoors.
Children need 1 hour per day of vigorous activity.(U.S. Surgeon General) But… More than half of parents (54%) said that they had little or no time to spend engaged in physical activity with their children, but wish they had more time.
Research tells us . . . . • Children who are exposed to natural environments attend better for longer periods of time. • Exposure to nature and natural settings improves attention span.
Another consequence… • Attention and behavior problems are being increasingly reported by teachers and parents. Focus discipline ADHD impulse control
Research tells us . . . . • Exposure to nature and natural settings decreases impulsivity in children. • Exposure to nature and natural settings decreases challenging behaviors in young children.
Research tells us . . . . • The outdoors facilitates children's ability to expand their sense of wonder and connection to nature.
Brainstorm • Ideas for outdoor activities for your family and friendships
