I was lucky I caught them sitting still.  It didn’t last long.  They spent the next four hours running and laughing and playing and goofing off with their friends.*

By the end of the night, they were dirty and sweaty and wore the biggest smiles on their faces.

Playing outside is what they were made to do as kids, and I’m glad I’m not the only one who thinks so.

The National Wildlife Federation has launched the Be Out There campaign as an effort to get kids to spend more time outside (which is ironic since I live with three boys who could be classified as members of the wildlife community).

I was approached to become a member of the NWF’s Founding Mother’s Board to help get the word out about the campaign and it took me less than a nanosecond to say yes.  You see I come from a long line of mothers who constantly tell their kids to “go outside and play!”–and my mom and grandmother only had two girls each.

I’ll admit I typically send my kids outside to play because I can’t take another minute of watching them bounce off the walls, but now I have FACTS (facts I say!) to back up my desire for them to get fresh air.

Did you know that:

• Children who play outside are more physically active, more creative in their play, less aggressive and show better concentration. (Burdette and Whitaker, 2005; Ginsburg et al., 2007)

• Sixty minutes of daily unstructured free play is essential to children’s physical and mental health. (American Academy of Pediatrics, 2008)

• Today’s kids spend 6.5 hours plugged into electronic media. (Juster et al 2004); (Burdette & Whitaker 2005); (Kuo & Sullivan 2001)

• Children are spending half as much time outdoors as they did 20 years ago. (Juster et al 2004); (Burdette & Whitaker 2005); (Kuo & Sullivan 2001)

• The most direct route to caring for the environment as an adult is participating in “wild nature activities” before the age of 11. (Wells and Lekies, 2006)

Seriously!

I know my kids have more fun outside.  I know they sleep better when they’ve been playing outside.  And I know we have more fun together when we have the fresh air and space of the outdoors to spend time with each other.

So when asked if our family wanted to take part in the Be Out There Challenge it was a no brainer–plus baseball season started this week, and well I feel like I’m cheating because we have a game or practice (or three) almost every night this week.  (Don’t tell NWF they might make me take the challenge in the middle of the winter or something instead.)

I’m trying to capture our outdoor activities to share with you in hopes that you might be inspired to take the challenge yourself.

Here are some of the other cool kids who are doing it:

Leighann Calentine

Ashley Waldvogel Gaddy

Jennifer James

Tracey Henry

@MomonMars

Rachel Matthews

Kim Moldofsky

Asha Dornfest

Kristin Sundin Brandt

Anna Fader

Veronique Christensen

Holly Ambrose

Christine Koh

Cooper Munroe

Emily McKhann

Tonight after baseball, I’m dragging out the telescope while we have this completely unseasonable weather.  In honor of my strong and brave friend Susan who is taking yet another step in her journey today, my family will enjoy both the outdoors and the stars tonight.

How often do you get outside?  What activities do you undertake with the kids in the yard?  Out in nature?  I’m doing this all week friends.  I need some ideas!!

*Only 2 of these 3 are my boys, but my other is a teenager and is currently too surly to have his picture taken.  Plus this loaner kid?  Cute or what?!