How to Encourage Children to Play Outside in the Yard

Too many children spend too much time inside. They don't feel the wind on their faces, nor know the joy of physical exhaustion from hard play. Don't enjoy the health benefits of playing outside. Too often, children are tethered indoors by TV, computer and video games-to the detriment of their health. Or, if they are outside, they bring hand-held games with them and miss all the health benefits and fun being outside offers. But with a bit of imagination and a little push, children learn to not only enjoy playing outside, they want to do so and will do so with great creativity.

Children enjoy showing off for parents and other adults or at least have an attentive adult nearby. When our children were four and on up into elementary school, many an evening I'd take a stool outside sit in the yard and enjoy not just the sunshine, but also my son and daughter playing outside. They had no trouble wanting to be out doors if Mom was willing to sit outside as well. Attention is a great motivation for outdoors play.

I didn't lounge in a chair or sun myself. I didn't read a book. I focused on the children. This was our time together. I watched them at play. With Mom outside in the yard as caller, monitor and, sometimes, mediator, they played Red Light-Green Light, Simon Says, running games and spinning games. As they got older, they skated down the sidewalk, always calling out for Mom to watch.

Marbles and jump rope are other "old fashion" but positive, health-filled ways for children to exercise and have fun outside.

At times, the children rested on the grass in the front yard and begged me for stories. I told them so many stories of my childhood, I ended up writing a book about my adventures.

Children like having an adult give them attention while not interfering in their fun. It keeps children active, interested and finding more ways to prolong that bonding time. Doing simple things outside in the yard is positive for everyone. (No one has to tell children there are health benefits to outside play.)

These days, I spend time outside with my grandchildren when they visit. We have trees they try to climb. They bring toys outside to ride or toys to play with in the grass or in the gravel. They race cars down the slight slope of the driveway. They laugh, get dirty and have fun.

One of my grandsons has found his own creative ventures outside. He likes to collect leaves. I find a plastic container and hold it as he returns again and again with more leaves. You can help a budding botanist, by providing a notebook the child can decorate. Help the child press the leaves, identify them and put them in the book. This gives even more incentive for some outdoors investigations.

Teach the children to look for the small creatures and observer them without hurting, disturbing or destroying them. Have the children tell you what they observe. Then together, look up more information on ants or grasshoppers, etc. The children can write or tell stories about what they've found or draw pictures. This brings what the children learn outside, inside and gives them motivation not only to learn, but also to do more exploring. (Outside adventures can be health for the mind as well as for the body.)

When our children were very young, we didn't buy an expensive sand box. Instead, we got a large farm tire donated and went to a sand pit for sand enough to fill it. The sand did not cost all that much, but our inexpensive sandbox provided the children a play area outside for their trucks and cars and horses. They built farms and castles. I didn't need to encourage them to tell stories. Their own imagination provided all the creativity they needed for hours of healthy outdoor fun and adventure.

Playing outside in the yard can be a fun adventure for children if we use our imagination to help them use their own creativity, if we give them attention they crave and listen to their "adventures." With a bit of imagination you can help your children enjoy playing outside, even if they have to leave that game machine inside.