Get Outside!

Millions of American teens spend too much time watching TV or playing video games, and this trend starts at a young age. Before their fourth birthday, 85 percent of toddlers already exceed the health guidelines for daily screen time. Summer invites you to switch things up. With the right approach, you can motivate your family to get outdoors and experience the incredible benefits of nature’s playground.

Great benefits of the great outdoors

Dana Klisanin, PhD, is an award-winning psychologist who researches human rewilding: reconnecting with nature to disconnect from the modern digital world and the ways that technology and screen time damage growing minds and bodies.

“Outdoor play offers children a profound opportunity to form relationships with the more-than-human world―relationships that can support mental health, creativity, and resilience throughout their lives,” says Klisanin. 

“Research shows that regular time in nature lowers stress hormones, enhances immune function, and improves mood―even the scent of trees and soil can have measurable calming effects on the nervous system.”

Specifically for kids and teens, outdoor play and nature exploration may boost cognition and learning, address the growing rise of behavioral issues in classrooms, and improve their mental health and emotional well-being. 

More time outdoors may even help an array of additional health concerns, such as childhood obesity, and chronic diseases, like asthma. 

Age-by-age outdoor inspiration

It’s not just about going outdoors―families need to find age-appropriate nature-based activities to motivate their children to get fresh air and exercise. 

Young children (0 to 7)

Keep it short, playful, and sensory-rich. “Little ones are the easiest to motivate,” says child development expert and therapist Aja Chavez, LMFT. “Turn it into a game, like ‘exploring’ the backyard or collecting leaves.” Other ideas include building a backyard obstacle course, going on nature scavenger hunts, or cooling down at a local outdoor splash pad.

Pre-teens (8 to 12)

“It’s all about the social aspect,” says Chavez. “They’re much more likely to go outside if their friends are involved―think bike rides around the neighborhood or pickup basketball games.”

Outdoor activities that encourage adventure and skill-building, such as paddleboarding or geocaching, are especially popular with this age group.

Teens (13+)

Link outdoor activities to personal development. “Respect their growing independence,” advises Chavez. “Instead of ordering them outside, try suggesting activities that align with their interests. Maybe they’d like to try skateboarding, or take their headphones for a walk, or set up a hammock to read in the fresh air.”

Turn “no way!” into “yes, please!”

Don’t be alarmed if you ask your family to go outside to play and they don’t want to, at first. “Resistance to outdoor time is often mislabeled as laziness or disinterest, but often it’s a symptom of disconnection,” says Klisanin. 

“Many kids―especially those growing up in screen-saturated or urban environments―don’t yet know how to be in nature. That’s why simple, repeated exposure matters―a weekly walk to the same park or a favorite tree to sit under. These seemingly small gestures become threads of relationship that slowly reweave the child’s sense of belonging to the living world,” Klisanin adds

Her best tip? Frame nature time as a reward or a break and not as a chore—and start with yourself. “Share your own love for nature, like your memories of climbing trees or catching fireflies,” says Klisanin. 

“When children feel they’re stepping into something meaningful―something ancestral, even sacred―they respond. If a child grows up watching the same tree bloom in spring, or feeding the birds outside their window, they’re learning to feel at home in the world. That’s a foundation we can’t afford to neglect.”

This article originally appeared on alive.com as “Get Outside!.”