to wish my children would play outside more ...

[MelodyBurke]

We recently moved to a more rural place, we have a lovely big garden complete with play house and "secret garden" at the end. We live on a quiet lane which goes down to a playing field with hardly any traffic. DS (10) is allowed to go to the park on his own and DD (8) is allowed to ride her bike up and down the lane on her own.

Its like the place I lived as a child and I spent hours outside in the summer playing "horses". Making stables, running imaginary riding schools etc etc, climbing trees & going on mini adventures around the nearby footpaths.

But my DCs just hang about inside wondering when they can have their computer time/ TV time (only allowed an hour a day), reading books, doing drawing or begging me to play board games with them. DS will go off and play football especially if a friend is round but DD just holes up in her room to play teachers.

We used to live in a city where they didn't have these freedoms so maybe they need encouragement. I'd love them to enjoy the outdoors like I used to. Am I just old fashioned.

Serve food outside, eat lunch outside and get cake and drinks and go outside - help them out there and get yourself out there to

OK - its tea in the garden tonight followed by card game on rug.

Re trampoline - I am a bit of a trampoline refusenik - I do realise their attractions and would have loved one as child but what I'm yearning for is non organised play involving imagination and lack of material investment (there have stated clearly my lentil weaving tendencies). Plus we can't afford one afetr buying bikes/ scooters/ tent etc.

A trampoline is excersise not organised play!

We tried the trampoline idea. It stood in the garden for a year, catching snow, leaves and bird poo before we ebay'd it.

I am considering making my two a packed lunch, sending them off and telling them not to come home until tea time, but I know they'd just weedle their way into someone elses house to play on the xbox. (I only allow mine an hour a day games console time).

I don't get today's kids. But maybe if we'd had games consoles, 12 hours a day kids programmes, computers, mobile phones etc we wouldn't have ventured into the great outdoors either.

I think they have to learn to play outside because it isn't something they have been used to doing for hours on end up to now. It will come I think. I'd start by getting them to sit outside. Could you put up a hammock or are their chairs they can read on outside etc (I realise this is not really what you have in mind) but for a start...

My niece grew up in the French countryside and tells me she spend her whole childhood when she was not in school riding her bike around outside so dc do still do it but she did not have to un-learn a different lifestyle, it was what she always did

I'd give them a bit of the garden each as their own little plot and set them to work onthat for one thing. The more they know local dc too, the more time they'll spend outdoors with them (hopefully)

I agree with ivykaty - you can't just turf them out if they are not that used to playing outside.

DS1 will happily wander off and around outside and alone for hours finding things to do, but DS2 needs more prodding.

I find that if I'm busy outside then they will play alongside me/us.

Surely with a huge garden you will have lots of things to be doing in it (my two love pruning with a pair of scissors - or deadheading easy things - they are 6 & 4)?

Once you get them "doing a job" with you, they will eventually wander off and start making magic potions.

Or you could get them to start pressing flowers and leaves and doing a nature book?

I think they need a shove gentle push to get them started.

They don't have enough boredom. If you were born in, say, 1977 there was much less to do.
I remember wandering around the house, bored, until I would wander outside and make a den/meet some local kids/ climb a tree etc.
Take away all their cool stuff and they will be forced outdoors through sheer boredom

Mine love to play outside. But we have no garden.

ah - you have bikes - so go for a bike ride with them and take a picnic tea with you.

Can't keep mine in...off out doing with friends on our little estate all the time, other kids definately the key.