Dear America,
Why don't kids go outside anymore ? Do kids hate the outdoors ? Why is it kids just don't play anymore ? Do kids hate to play? Why is it our kids only want to stay inside with technology? Why is it kids are so addicted to TV, computers, iPads, and video games ? Whatever happened to that thing called childhood ? Whatever happened to kids spending hours and hours outside playing with friends ? What will these children's childhood memories be when they grow up ? Why is it parents and other adults aren't even letting their kids play outside ? Why is it schools are cutting recess ? Why is it kids' once playful lives have now been overbooked and over scheduled today by adults ? Whatever happened to just kids being kids ?
I believe kids want to play.
Why don't kids go outside anymore ? Do kids hate the outdoors ? Why is it kids just don't play anymore ? Do kids hate to play? Why is it our kids only want to stay inside with technology? Why is it kids are so addicted to TV, computers, iPads, and video games ? Whatever happened to that thing called childhood ? Whatever happened to kids spending hours and hours outside playing with friends ? What will these children's childhood memories be when they grow up ? Why is it parents and other adults aren't even letting their kids play outside ? Why is it schools are cutting recess ? Why is it kids' once playful lives have now been overbooked and over scheduled today by adults ? Whatever happened to just kids being kids ?
I believe kids want to play.
In the spring and summer of 2015, I began to unfold something that seemed like a mystery to me. All on my own through deep researching online and by doing a reality check and taking a look at kids around me , I discovered a problem that I wasn't aware of and had never been aware of before. It had been existing for such a while, but I had been unaware of it and never thought much about it until now, and just like me, so many other people either don't know about it, or they underestimate the issue. It's an issue that is affecting children all over the world, and it's a growing crisis. The problem that I am talking about is Play Deficit and Nature Deficit Disorder. If you look around today at kids, they aren't playing anymore. There is a huge, huge, huge problem going on in the lives of children today, and it's called Play Deficit Disorder, a disorder studied and spoken about by Dr. Peter Gray of Boston College and Nature Deficit Disorder spoken about by Richard Louv, the author of the best selling book The Last Child in the Woods.
The 2 issues go hand in hand. Play Deficit is nothing more than our children of today are not getting enough play time, and nature deficit disorder is nothing more than our children of today are not spending enough time outside. Although the 2 problems are very easy to understand, not many people are aware of them, and so many things in our world are making the 2 problems ever growing. Statistics show that our children of today are playing outside less than any generation in history; child obesity rates are soaring; diagnosis of ADHD is through the roof; childhood depression and mental illness is also at an all time high. Research has linked all these outcomes to both issues I mentioned . Just something so frivolous and small as playing outside is actually so much larger than people realize. Not to mention, lack of playing outside takes a toll on children's physical, mental, emotional, and social health.
The 2 issues go hand in hand. Play Deficit is nothing more than our children of today are not getting enough play time, and nature deficit disorder is nothing more than our children of today are not spending enough time outside. Although the 2 problems are very easy to understand, not many people are aware of them, and so many things in our world are making the 2 problems ever growing. Statistics show that our children of today are playing outside less than any generation in history; child obesity rates are soaring; diagnosis of ADHD is through the roof; childhood depression and mental illness is also at an all time high. Research has linked all these outcomes to both issues I mentioned . Just something so frivolous and small as playing outside is actually so much larger than people realize. Not to mention, lack of playing outside takes a toll on children's physical, mental, emotional, and social health.
The purpose of my website here is to to educate and share information with others, including parents, educators, childcare workers, and other adults about this ever growing problem with children and a lack of childhood outdoor play. The information shared on my website discusses topics including the benefits of play, technology and kids, benefits of recess at school, importance of free and unstructured play, the decline in neighborhood play,and the importance of being outdoors for children.