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

go out and play with them too ! There's nothing better for kids than leading by example - and who doesn't enjoy getting outside, getting muddy and having a bit of fun

Most days my son is on his trampoline most days even in the rain he loves it and goes swimming every week

My lot are natural outdoorsy types too and frequently all it takes is an opening of the door. That said... in our garden we have a climbing frame, excellent climbing tree, trampoline, a fairy village and a mud kitchen... this backs on to a fab safe tarmacked lane for cycling/scootering... so we're lucky we've got that, and it holds their interest...

that said, the obsession with going through about 7 outfits, getting them muddy, and changing them, has pretty much done my head in this holidays... roll on summer when a session in the garden doesn't leave them covered from head to toe... it's not that the laundry detergent and machine CAN'T get the clothes clean, it's the sheer bloody quantity 3 outdoorsy kids generate

Mine don't need that much encouragement to go outside. Today we went to the park with a football and they then spent approx an hour building a bridge over a stream (and their entire set of clothes went in the wash for the second time this week!). My youngest in particular loves helping in the garden and they both love planting vegetables and flowers which then encourages them back out to water them and check on progress.

Trampoline! Is brilliant for chucking them out for a quick bounce

Post dinner walk to a park - now it's light it's really fun

I love the outdoors so my Dd kind of had to like it too. Having a dog helps as is means we have a motivation to get out every day. Stories about the outside help, she loves building houses for eeyore or searching for stick man's family tree. Making nature bracelets (you wrap double sided sticky tape around a loop of cardboard and stick on leaves, feathers etc that you find) is a great outdoor activities. But the ultimate draw is mud and puddles...thank goodness for wellies and washing machines :)

Take them to the closest park and they will love it!

Encourage friendships with neighbours children, we made gaps in the fences between the 3 houses and they tended to free range between the gardens depending on what they wanted to play. We had a climbing frame and swing, one side had a trampoline and the other had a flat lawn for ball games. Hours and hours of made up games and always someone to play with.

Anything becomes a play item with mine, so the mound of builder's sand with plastic sheet is their favourite slide.
My biggest problem is being stuck at work when I'd love to be taking them out, sadly.

Switch off TV/computers/tablets, just tell them we are going out, the whinging usually has stopped by the time they are actually outside. Garden tools for them, allowing htem to dig up the garden and not being precious about it also helps. Having other DCs on the street a similar age to play with also helps, but there's not much you can do about it if you happen to live somewhere with no children/ones a very different age to yours.

Our little one helped to design our garden. We have tree stump stepping stones, a little playhouse made from pallets, a sunken baby bath sand pit and he had his own veg bed area. Lots of open ended play ideas, such as stones, seeds, sticks, wooden blocks etc to keep him busy!

We are lucky enough to have a fantastic playground in our village so it's not hard at all to persuade them to go 100 yards up the road to play. We are new here so they have actually met other children too. They get the "privilege" of being allowed to take the small mobile phone they use for walking to school with then so they feel independent as well to boot!

I did have my daughter walking our dog at the old house, just need to get her to learn a couple of new routes here now Spring arriving and she will be off listening to her music as she walks in a flash!

I try to lead by example; walking to & from Nursery & getting into the park on the way home. Walking to the shops & finding things to be playful with on the way

As a PP said, simply opening the back door is a good start!

Teach you child to skip, cycle and scoot as early as possible.

My top tip would be to get stuck in alongside them! Show them how to play and that it is OK to get dirty! Also make sure they are dressed appropriately, puddle suits on in wet weather etc, so they feel comfortable to explore

Mine just love being in the garden. Ds1 wasn't much of a fan but now ds2 can join him he is much happier. The fact that they get outdoor time at nursery helps and that is something I wanted when looking at nurseries.

X number of laps round the garden = X number of screen time minutes...

Lots of easy outdoor games! I do on the spot scavenger hunts, you don't even need any resources at all, just shout things out... (find something soft, find a round stone, a yellow leaf etc.)
Smelly cocktails, I give them a paper cup and we make different smelling concoctions! Who's has the nicest/smelliest smell?
First person to find a caterpillar/ladybird/wood louse wins a prize (great way to talk about camouflage too!)
Make wood cookies (off cuts of wood they can colour on)
We recently made a bug palace in the garden, which kept them occupied for ages!
Use an old tyre to make a swing
The list is endless....
Sites like The RSPB, Wildlife Trusts and Woodland Trust have heaps of ideas
My top tip is keep it simple, keep it fun and have lots up your sleeve to avoid boredom :)

It's more of a problem to keep her in then out. We have a selection of magnifying glasses to go and try and find bugs with. A watering can, trowel and patch of earth is good entertainment, hide and seek, football, throwing bean bags into a bucket, puddle jumping, finding a good stick, all entertain and extend the time you spend outside. The promise of a picnic can also extend a walk.

feeding birds/ducks. My daughter loves to go to local RSPB centre to learn about nature

Weatherproof clothing! Rain trousers and jackets and wellies for wet weather, wind proof overalls/trousers and jacket combo for chilly weather.

Let them play the way they want - don't stop them from doing slightly 'dangerous' things like climbing trees. Show them how you enjoy being outside too.

Its easy for us, I just open the door and tell DD(5) to go outside but even when we lived in a flat with no garden I made sure to take her outside every day to make it habit.

DD also loves leading the way on bike adventures. She chooses which direction we go every time we reach a crossroads and chooses when we stop to explore by foot.

My 3 year old has suggested 'play with them' and my 5 year old 'bubbles?'

One great way I have found to get them outside, especially for the older ones, is geocaching. If you find a few in a forest, they will literally walk for miles to find it, and swap some crap swag in the cache.

Just do it! Children are naturals and will want to be outdoors. It just needs to be a part of everyday life.

I would recommend printing off the '100 things to do before you're 11 and 3/4' from the national trust website - so many ideas on getting outside and having fun!!

Otherwise set your family challenges to complete for the year - canoeing, planting and growing, making a mud pie, climbing a tree!! There's fun to be had other than just football or running around - be creative!!!