How do you encourage your children to play outside? Tell Persil for a chance to win a £300 voucher! NOW CLOSED

[PoppyMumsnet]

A new global study of 12,000 parents reveals children are spending on average less than an hour outdoors per day - and in the UK specifically 1 in 5 children never play outdoors.

In response to this, Persil is launching the Dirt is Good campaign, encouraging children to spend more time playing outdoors.

Here’s what Persil has to say: “We believe that children need plenty of outdoor play because climbing trees, building dens and just being in nature are essential for their learning and healthy development. That’s why we say that #dirtisgood. However, parents have told us that it’s getting more difficult to find time and places for their kids to play. So, in partnership with parents, educators, and other leading child development experts, we want to investigate ways to help children play and explore more so that they can learn and develop to their full potential.”

Persil wants to hear your top tips for encouraging your children to get out and play. Do you feel they have fewer opportunities to play than you did? What are the main obstacles to outside play and how do you overcome them? What, if anything, would you like to help you facilitate outdoor play for your children?

Everyone who adds a comment to this thread will be entered in to a prize draw where one winner will receive a £200 Love2shop voucher.

Thanks & good luck!

MNHQ

Standard T&Cs apply

Dont really need to bribe the girls as they love playing in the garden but the boy needs the power cut and the internet turned off to get him outside and off his screens.

My top tip for getting children outside is to go out with them as children enjoy spending time with grown ups.

To be honest, we have no problems getting 6yo DD outside, its getting her back in that's the problem!
A warm coat, hat if windy and wellies and she'll go anywhere. She loves her scooters the most.

Go with them wellingtons always near the door. Fresh air is free and we all need it. Ready steady go .

They need no encouragement to make a mess! I've got a digging area where they can make mud pies, find worms and grow some vegetables, they love it.

I try and lead by example, they tend to follow me so if i'm outside they're outside.

I have a couple of bags of ornamental pebbles. I hide these all over the garden and then they spend hours happily hunting for them!

Dress appropriately and go outside with them!

We have a trampoline, swing, football and Goal for my little man I have no trouble getting him into the garden, especially as I like to be outside as much as possible, we know in this house tablets, computers etc are for rainy days. Our favourite thing in the summer is to go on picnics, to the park or beach. I think the key is to getting them out and about is to lead by example.

The only way is by physically accompanying them and showing them fun things they could be doing

My grand daughters love to come to Grandma's because I let them play outside when it's raining! It's only water. We have 'dark picnics' outside in the winter - jacket potatoes, hot sausages and soup with candles on the table, all bundled up in our hats and scarves. And they each have their own area of the garden to plant and tend.

i find encouraging peer pressure by inviting their friends around to call for them

I just take my daughter out! We go on bikes or to the park and as long as I take a friend for her she loves it. I intend to make sure she always plays out

I find that they love having a task such as planting seeds and looking after them

We have a big garden with chickens and bees. All of them love the chickens as they are friendly, funny and skittish at the least thing - a sneeze sends them all clucking and fluttering as if a fox had been dropped in the middle of them. The older ones are interested in the bees and I have jackets in different sizes. Apart from that, walks to places they've never been before and have interesting nooks and crannies for them to play and hide n seek in.

My daughter loves the outdoors, wish I could say that about my boys, I have to bribe them with treats to make them get some fresh air

Get children interested in outdoorsy themes when young - such as animals, tractors, horses, sport - then they will be keener to get out and about and involved in these types of activities as they grow up.

The mud attracts my daughter, all on it's own!

Encourage them to play outside and join in! Explore and make adventures outside and have fun with them they soon learn to enjoy outside play and imagination is key! I was lucky enough to grow up on a farm so I loved being outdoors!

Giving children thier own patch of garden and some easy to grow seeds.

My daughter hates to go out but I can tempt her with a game it catch etc. As soon as she is outside she is happy to play outside.

Back foot open all the time we're in and they just launch themselves out!

Take them to the garden centre and let them choose their own plants and then plant them in the garden. They have to water and tend them everyday.

Dig a bit of a hole in the border, put some toy diggers nearby...

Switch off all indoor distractions, check their toys outside and order them out! Mine are often reluctant but love it once they're out. Giving DD something to 'wash' and letting her get herself soaked through provides plenty of entertainment!

Basically my 6 and 4 year olds love the outdoors, walking to Nana's house, park, football in the park. I just need the energy to keep up !!!!!!!!!
At home the best buy was the trampoline, they can use it at the same time, don't have to wait to take turns. The eldest loves counting to 100, and now 200, next comes sequencing while he jumps and does the numbers in 2's, then 3's .
They have not actually started the times tables but I'm sure he will start those while exercising ................ a good combination.

Even if I don't feel like it, I always make the effort to go out for walks and bike rides. We all feel better afterwards.