Tucked away in the gentle hills of north central Kansas, I spent my days playing outside or accompanying my grandfather as he worked in his fields.
I learned how to anticipate the changing of the seasons and how to fish in the pond in the pasture across the road.
My father also took me fishing and taught me to identify the many birds stopping over at Cheyenne Bottoms.
I remember riding bikes, climbing trees, exploring back roads with my “farm dog,” being excited when the seeds we planted grew up into beets or tomatoes and, when I grew a little older, testing whether it really was hot enough to fry an egg on the sidewalk.
For many kids today, however, it’s a different story.
Richard Louv, in his book Last Child in the Woods, relates that for many children, computers are more important than nature.
One fourth-grader, when asked whether he would rather play inside or outside, said, “I like to play indoors better, ’cause that’s where all the electrical outlets are.”
Why should we care about whether kids play outdoors?
As our disconnect with nature grows, 17 percent of children are now obese and millions more are overweight, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control.
Louv cites a University of Maryland study showing that between 1997 and 2003, there was a decline of 50 percent in the proportion of children aged nine to 12 who spent time in such outside activities as hiking, fishing and gardening.
At the same time, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, or ADHD, has grown by leaps and bounds. New studies show that when children and adults spend more time in the natural world, their physical and emotional health improves.
“Take a Child Outside Week” starts today and runs through Sept. 30. Use this as an opportunity to take your kids, grandkids or neighbor’s kids outdoors for a walk in the park, a bike ride or some work in the garden.
Or go fishing, bird-watching or star-gazing.
Visit the Ernie Miller Nature Center in Olathe, Wyandotte County Lake Park or Kansas City’s Discovery Center.
Let the kids discover what they love about the outdoors — and then keep doing it even after Take a Child Outside Week is over! For more information, visit www.takeachildoutside.org.
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