Culture Post: Most Parents Today Say Their Kids Don’t Spend Enough Time Outside Anymore

More than half of American parents believe their kids aren’t spending enough time playing outside (55%). A survey of 5,000 parents of children between five and 13 — split evenly by state — finds that 57 percent worry their kids aren’t as excited about playing outside as they were when they were young. In fact, parents have to tell their kids to play outside an average of four times a week.

Parents in Alaska, Arizona, and Missouri are telling their kids to play outside most – at an average of six times a week. The top reasons parents tell their children to go play outside include getting some fresh air (51%), taking a break from their digital devices (47%), and for exercise (42%).

The survey found parents reported their child typically spends just five hours a week playing outside – less than an hour a day.

More than three-quarters (76%) of parents agree most of their time spent as a child was spent playing outside, while 74 percent feel that kids these days don’t appreciate the outdoors as much as they did.

Source: StudyFinds
https://www.studyfinds.org/getting-kids-to-play-outdoors/

Find more culture news on HomeWord’s Culture Blog, named in 2022 for the seventh consecutive year, as one of the top 50 culture blogs on the planet!

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[reposted by] Jim Liebelt

Jim is Senior Writer, Editor and Researcher for HomeWord. Jim has 40 years of experience as a youth and family ministry specialist, having served over the years as a pastor, author, consultant, mentor, trainer, college instructor, and speaker. Jim’s HomeWord culture blog also appears on Crosswalk.com and Religiontoday.com. Jim and his wife Jenny live in Quincy, MA.

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