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

My children have always loved the outdoors! We have always taken our boys out sun or rain! We love to look for fun places to go! My top tip is to collect stones/shells/leaves or sticks, to paint or make pictures another day.

Mine like bubble mix and can run about blowing bubbles for ages. Child sized tools for gardening and their own patch also keeps them going for a while.

I bought my little girl some bright pink wellies and a flowery dress especially for the garden, so she want to get togged-up to come outside and garden with me. She loves being my little helper tidying the flower beds and trimming the herb garden, with our puppy Luna in tow. She does get rather mucky, but at least her other clothes are saved, and the Persil will save her muddy paw-printed dress!

play outside with them

let's go and feed the ducks

Whenever the weather allows, take the indoor outdoors! Mealtimes out in the garden, drawing with chalks on the patio, building a den under the picnic table, doing homework laying on the grass, reading while sat on a swing. It doesn't have to be mucky, sporty activities that some children will never relish.

I find the best way to encourage them is to be outside myself. If I open the door to hang out/bring in washing, or do some gardening, than you can guarantee they will want to be there too, and end up staying out long after I've come in when they realise how much fun it is.

We are lucky to live close to beaches and to the countryside and lots of parks so many different opportunities to spend time outside in the fresh air.

For getting the DC's out to play, I let them pick what fruit and veg we grow this year in the garden, and also what flowers to pick, to that gets them out and into the thick of things, I also have cute wellies and macs for them to wear so they are comfy and warm whatever the weather, and we don't always take the car, we will walk and I find they get used to walking, we bring a camera too to catch anything interesting! :)

Get out there and play with them. Put up tents and get lots of outdoor activities in the garden. Swings, trampoline, outdoor garden games to get them out and running about. Join in too its fun :)

creating the perfect space with toys and accessories out in the garden that they want to get out and play with. with the weather here - it becomes a real treat when they are allowed out.

We do lots of who can run to the tree the fastest and little scavenger hunts. The first thing she asks me when she wakes up if we can go outside and play!

Since mine have always loved animals, I take them to local farms and they get to see wildlife, horses, nature at it's best. I encourage them to have an interest in the natural world around them.

allow them the freedom to be kids and get messy . Dont stress if they get dirty , embrace it they've enjoyed

My 3yo used to dislike getting his hands muddy but we introduced him to gardening and he loves it.
We do watering plants (the patio/his wellies/mum's feet etc..), growing sunflowers, and he loves to pick daisies and bring them to me.
Other things that encourage him to go out are having wellies by the door which he finds easy to slip on/off, doing races in the garden and his Dad spinning him around outside. He also loves to hold ladybirds and insects.
Mainly I think let them have some freedom to explore and get mucky.

I am also the one who need just to open the doors .my kids would love to live outside and mostly it is me who need encouragement to play outside for ages :)

Just head down to the park

Turn off the TV and computers.
Send them off outside.
Set an expectation they can't fester in front of screens for long periods.
Join organisations that take them outdoors (my dc are in woodcraft folk. they spend many weekends in the woods).
Go camping.
Go to the park.
Go cycling with them.

We moved from a city to an area with fab outdoor spaces when the dc were little, for the quality of outdoor life, but that's perhaps not a strategy that everyone can manage.

The wifi is broken!

Try to limit the time they play on screen based items and then do anything from fun in the garden to taking a walk to a park.
Keep it simple and then mother nature will do the rest.

I have two daughters aged 3 and 6 and they love to play outside...its all about adventures so whatever the weather we love to get fresh air, whether its walking in the rain with umberellas and wellies...or playing in the paddling pool and the sand pit when it's sunny, making treasure maps and hiding small objects in the garden, going on bug hunts, using chalk and drawing hopscoth and pictures, riding bikes and scooters....I find it harder to get them back inside the house!

Have plenty to do in the garden, Play house, slide, swing . Go on walks and collect interesting things like leaves, conkers and acorns from the ground and use them in crafts at home

Turn the wifi off! Harsh but good for them in the long run

We don't have to persuade our little one much as he loves the outdoors- a trip to the park or fruit picking are always pavourties with a little picnic midway!

I encourage outdoor sports such as football and I also take them for regular visits to our local park to enjoy the play area and open spaces.