Why do we care about your kids’ playtime?

We care about your children playing outdoors because as it cliché as it sounds, they really are our future. And countless studies show that outdoor play is a fundamental part of childhood that is sadly missing from many American children’s life experiences today. Outdoor play helps create better adults. And we can certainly use more of those.

Jackie Semmens published an article in Motherly that sums this up pretty well. Here is an excerpt: 

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One study, published in the Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine, found that roughly one-half of the preschool-aged children surveyed did not walk or play outside with a parent once per day. Even more concerning, the study found that the girls in the study were 15% less likely than boys to have daily outdoor play.

When children do make it outdoors, other studies have shown that the time they spend out there is short, with the average child spending only four to seven minutes per day in unstructured outdoor play. By contrast, the Centers for Disease Control recommends that children should participate in at least 60 minutes of physical activity per day.

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There are both physical and mental health benefits to outdoor play for children, and while we enjoy helping their parents with the occasional renovation or new build project, we have found our true passion is in creating custom outdoor play experiences for children.