We need to get kids outdoors!

I was just going over the 2009 Participation Study by the Outdoor Foundation. It is a interesting report covering what is happening in the outdoors and who is participating. The report showed that there were increases in outdoor activities and that more people were returning to nature. Both hiking and camping showed increases of 9% and 7% respectively. 48.6% of Americans ages 6 and older participated in outdoor recreation and 43% of the outdoor participants are female. One of the sad statistics showed that “43% of outdoor participants get out less than every other week — shedding light on America’s current obesity and inactivity epidemic.”

The report shows that the most popular outdoor activities by participation rate are:

1. Freshwater, Saltwater and Fly Fishing (17%)
2. Car, Backyard and RV Camping (15%)
3. Running, Jogging and Trail Running (15%)
4. Road Biking, Mountain Biking and BMX (15%)
5. Hiking (12%)

I think the most discouraging statistic is that outdoor participation among youth ages 6 to 17 dropped by 6%. This has been a trend for the last three years. The greatest decline was among the youngest (ages 6-12) surveyed. This shows that it is important for all of us to try and help get children outdoors earlier. Children also said that “fun” was an important part of motivating them to get outdoors. So it is important to remember to take it slow and make it fun for kids will want to do it again and again. I believe as we do this, children will learn to love playing outside and the obesity rate will decline.

There are many programs to help children get outside and play.

• http://www.fws.gov/letsgooutside/
• http://www.landpaths.org/index.cfm/page/Get-Kids-Outside-In-Our-Own-Backyard
• http://www.ultramarathonman.com (No Child Left Inside)
• http://www.rei.com/family-adventure
• http://www.outdoorsallianceforkids.org
• http://www.letsmove.gov

This is just a few. There are many more in your local area. If you have would like to read the full report please visit  Outdoor Industry Association. Also if you have any great ideas of how to get kids outside, please comment so we can help each other get kids outdoors.