Children spending less time outside than a prisoner

[ivykaty44]

Is this a problem?

Today was mostly a fine winters day yet crowds shopping and roads gridlocked but local park empty.

Or is it not important for children to be outside?

Discuss

Why are you comparing children to prisoners?

If you’d gone to the local country park or woods or beach you’d probably have found more people. Everyone’s off work, if you’re going to be outside you’re not going to walk to the local park where everything’s wet and you’ll be bored and cold within 10 minutes, you’re going to take your bikes or wellies and go somewhere fun

We weren't at the park with ours. We went for a run around at the beach. It was freezing, and lovely.
Yabu to assume that because the park is empty children arent outside.

Our local park was rammed and when I commented on this to the staff in the visitor centre they said it had been like this the entire break.

I think lots of people are spending time outdoors.

Do you actually know any prisoners and how much time they spend outside before you start making comparisons?

I'd argue it's not healthy for the prisoners to spend long days in lock up either.

I am not sure how much time prisoners spend outside. But, yes, it's important for children, and adults, to spend a lot of time outdoors. Unfortunately lots of people feel that their children are safer indoors.

We went for a mountain/woodland walk today...3hours of fun had by all, dc are 4 and 6, hide and seek, and foraging for beech nuts! Not a park in sight 🤣 although they do love the park!!

I think the OP wants to discuss the facts around kids spending less time outdoors than prisoners do? www.theguardian.com/environment/2016/mar/25/three-quarters-of-uk-children-spend-less-time-outdoors-than-prison-inmates-survey

And yes I agree they don't! It's linked with the rise in technology, increasingly busy households and perceived safety ie can't go out without parents.

I think the time is one hour. I'm not sure my kids get that some days especially in winter but I try my best to be outside as much as possible with them as I think it's massively beneficial for humans to be out in nature.

But on a cold day with the sales on its probably not the best judge! Try the beach or a park on a sunny day.

People don't let their kids play out now. It's seen as a very bad thing.

My dd is always outside. She was outside in her pram from newborn every day. Now shes 4 i toss her in the garden at every opportunity rain ,snow.

Prisoners, or at least when I worked in a prison, get a couple of blocks of outdoor time - normally in a concrete walled yard with no greenery around it. It's around an hour a day.

At school, children at my infants have 2 x15 minute breaks, plus at least 45 min at lunch time - so about 1hr15min a day within school time, not taking into account any PE or Daily Mile time they may have on top. Our playground is concrete but we do have greenery, plants and trees surrounding it, as well as some play equipment.

How much they get on top of that will vary massively though.

We went for a walk to a nearby beauty spot/hill (South Downs), and the car park there was rammed, loads of families there.

I meant to add that our Reception children get longer than this - their break times are 30 minutes, and they have a lot of independent access to outdoor areas throughout the day too.

In the nearby juniors there is no official afternoon break but every class goes out for at least 10 minutes and/or their Daily Mile.

I know at secondary this is reduced a lot.

I think it's a problem. But when parents feel it necessary to spend weekends in shopping malls, their giant offspring get squashed into pushchairs and dragged in and out of cut price high street retailers. The future is less than bright on many levels.

I saw this on countrywise as well OP.

We try to get out as much as possible, this morning we played football at the park, then my son spent about half an hour attempting to ride his bike. After lunch we had a canal walk, it was to the pub and back, but it’s about 25 minutes each way.

Typically a week for us is.
Monday - Friday
40 minutes of walking (getting to and from school). Most days we go to the park after school for at least half an hour, sometimes it’s football, sometimes it’s the play park. The weather has to be really really awful, or we have something we have to rush home for to miss time at the park.

Saturday
45 minutes of rugby tots, 15 minute walk there and back with a stop at the park on the way home.

Sunday
15 minute walk to the swimming pool, on the way home we go to a play park and he can easily be there for almost an hour.

In nicer weather it isn’t unusual for us to be out all day, this summer on my days off we were often out from 9-8.

I think a lot of people don’t make time for being outdoors, some people choose not to dress well for the weather and of course some avoid it as due to physical needs they may be unable to access certain things outdoors.

We could do more outdoor stuff and this year I’m going to make more of an effort with that. We’re carrying on with rugby tots, but my son is also starting football so that brings another two hours a week of both physical activity and being outdoors.

Mine spent a lot of time outdoors as young children but as late teens now they won't go outside for love nor money. It does worry me but not a lot I can do to force them out now.

Discuss

So rude.

Have you been to both the park and the shopping centre today?

I made my children 11 and 9 walk the dog. They argued incessantly around our very beautiful dog walk in the glorious sunshine. 45 mins and they were back to the house and sulking.

I would LOVE to get them to play at the park as when they were younger we were there in all weather. But they are too big now to pick up and put into a car!

The parents here are very willing, the children are adamantly not.

Do adults also all have an hour outside everyday? I really doubt it, especially this time of year.

Yes I cycled through the park along the cycle path on the way home from the shopping center.

I was curious as to whether being outside is important, I guess the references to prisoners having more time outside is, are we imprisoning children inside? Do we really stop them from going outside, or is it the child’s choice to stay inside, in cars as they don’t want to walk anywhere?

Does it have an effect on their health? I don’t know the answers just asking the questions.

I'm outside for a couple of hours every day. I walked past the playground today and it was teeming with children, and our neighbour's grandchildren have been running wild in our small wood (with our blessing) for the last three days.

"Discuss"

We walked for miles along a beach and took them to the park today. Yesterday we went to a country park. My kids walk daily unless it's really raining or someone's not well.

I walk outside with my 2 DDs almost every day but my 2 year old likes to remind me regularly that she prefers daddy's car.

Give me a playground suitable for pre-teens. Or any other outdoor activity I don’t have to pay for. We have two country parks and lots of woodland but teens are not interested in just walking. Cycling is unfortunately ot an option for me.

We go out a lot with DD. She is a Scout and spends a decent amount outside but it has to be more than just a walk.

It is easy to entertain a smaller child,