On long, hot summer days before there were computers or a thousand television channels, kids could easily get bored. They’d wander aimlessly around the house, whining about how there was nothing fun to do. But moms everywhere had this covered. They snapped off a terse command that will be familiar to many: “Go outside and play!”
That was it. Who you played with, what you did, where you went — all of that was your business. Whether you tossed a ball or tormented a sibling was a child-generated decision. You were simply to make yourself scarce. Outside.
Today, however, some parents complain that kids don’t spend enough time outdoors because they’re distracted by computers, video games, television and an alluring array of other indoor attractions. They’re worried that kids don’t know how to play outside anymore and don’t appreciate nature. Some experts fret that some kids could be mentally or physically scarred.
Recently some big-name corporate, political and environmental leaders launched a campaign to raise $20 million for programs that encourage kids to set down the PlayStation and get into the real world. They’re calling efforts like this, unavoidably, “Leave no child inside.”
But are kids who don’t want to go outdoors really suffering from what some advocates call “nature deficit disorder?” Or are they simply responding to cultural opportunities when they cocoon indoors? Look, we’ve spent the last decade urging kids to become computer-literate. There are tons of television channels, not to mention DVDs, an abundance of choices that kids of previous generations couldn’t even imagine. Who wouldn’t want to indulge in this rich buffet as much as possible?
Most kids follow schedules so demanding that the average CEO would blanch. They’ve got lessons and play dates and organized activities that squeeze the spontaneity out of them from birth. They don’t have much time to wander outside. And even if they did, they’re often kept on a short leash because of parental fears about safety.
It would be sad if we were raising a generation that won’t know the thrills that can be had in the empty lot across the street, the pleasures of exploring a tree fort or the adventure that awaits on a giant hill of dirt. Outdoors, in the neighborhood, is where you tested your mettle as a secret agent or a soldier, a ballplayer, a hurdler, a gymnast. This is where you learned things from friends that your parents didn’t want you to know just yet. Where you conducted field experiments on the behavior of insects.
Kids need to explore the world, get dirty and sweaty. That’s how they develop a healthy appreciation for nature — and their own limits. Or maybe that’s how they develop a healthy appreciation for being inside.
There’s no need to panic here. Before doctors start prescribing pills and therapists gear up to treat kids who like to stay indoors as if they were somehow disturbed, let us suggest that wanting to stay indoors is not a disease. And the solution for parents who want their kids to get outside more doesn’t require anything close to $20 million. Here’s the point: Where do these indoor-loving kids usually encounter mom and dad? On a hike? In the park? Or on the couch, mesmerized by “Meerkat Manor”?
Our advice to parents who want their kids to appreciate nature: Get off your rear. Take the kids for a bike ride, a pool visit, a trip to the zoo or beach, a walk around the block. Break out the mitts or the soccer ball or the Rollerblades. Watch the fireflies at dusk. Introduce them to the big, beautiful world beyond the glowing screen.
