More kids n outdoors stuff

Some inspiration for you – full film just previewed.

While I think it’s great I really don’t get the “How do I get my kids outside?”

Errr open the door and say come on kids let’s go for a walk?

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IMG_4035[/url] by Lee Collis[/url], on Flickr

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Hunting for blank rounds[/url] by Lee Collis[/url], on Flickr

I agree, same here. But sadly 15 years of working in outdoor education, now outdoors in schools stuff shows that we are the minority in the UK these days.
90% of 8 year olds know what a Darlek is, but less than 40% knew the differnce between a Bee and Wasp.
I regularly meet children who do not leave the house or street other than school or shop, head to a school playground that is concrete, get on a plane to Spain to go to a hotel and pub and rarely come into contact with nature. I meet teenagers who spend hours and hours per day gaming online and texting each other, but never interacting (hmm, STW?). Even just to head to the park and find mini-beasts is a huge adventure for some.
So much of this is now documented well: Tim Gills comments on that film above sum lots of it up.
Is this film the tipping point for a more free-range childhood?

I bet most of them could even spell it.

I meet teenagers who spend hours and hours per day gaming online and texting each other, but never interacting (hmm, STW?). Even just to head to the park and find mini-beasts is a huge adventure for some.

Interestingly, you can also meet adults who have no idea of the difference between Twitter and Facebook, yet are able to identify tree species. They seem to think this is better somehow 😕

I agree, same here. But sadly 15 years of working in outdoor education, now outdoors in schools stuff shows that we are the minority in the UK these days.
90% of 8 year olds know what a Darlek is, but less than 40% knew the differnce between a Bee and Wasp.
I regularly meet children who do not leave the house or street other than school or shop, head to a school playground that is concrete, get on a plane to Spain to go to a hotel and pub and rarely come into contact with nature

Are we not talking about two different things here? “Outdoors” does not have to be about “nature” or “green”. Sometimes I’ll take my kids for a walk through the woods and look at the bluebells and squirrels, sometimes we’ll stay urban and look at the relics of a bygone industrial era.

I think part of the problem might be this idea that getting outdoors involves finding green spaces, which is not always easy depending on where you live and your access to transport (I’m including affordability under “access”). Our towns and cities are absolutely rammed with interesting things, some obvious, some not. I’d rather my kids were playing in a “concrete playground” than on an X-Box.

Yeah there probably is those cases but really don’t believe it’s such a majority as made out to be. The video was annoying as it showed and obviously middle class guy who was claiming angst as his kids like many don’t want to go outside. I find that a bit unbelievable it’s more a case of parents not taking them outside, maybe I’m blinkered growing up and still living in rural Northumberland I spent and still do a lot of time outside. I could get more really though, my kids loves nothing more than getting outside but they also like TV and my eldest video games.

Like I said in your Play station thread there’s 24 hours in a day.

I still think it’s great though that such a thing is happening but it was very patronising.

Yeah there probably is those cases but really don’t believe it’s such a majority as made out to be. The video was annoying as it showed and obviously middle class guy who was claiming angst as his kids like many don’t want to go outside.

I’d say it depends on the activity, my kids (both girls) aren’t massively keen on “going for a walk” as an activity in itself, but heading out to the playground / (outdoor) swimming pool / beach is a different matter.

I’d say it depends on the activity, my kids (both girls) aren’t massively keen on “going for a walk” as an activity in itself, but heading out to the playground / (outdoor) swimming pool / beach is a different matter.

That’s getting outside.

When my daughter had a trampoline in the garden it was a struggle getting her to come indoors, but suggest going for a walk and she’d just sulk 🙂

I agree the whole outdoor thing does not have to be green n nature – it can just be outside and sport or adventure or mud or owt.
I just spent a morning in Glasgow, finding bugs with a nursery in a concrete jungle and wasteland…it was great 🙂
We I am generalising here. I also suspect (as Drac points out) that the generalisations are less likely to apply to the average STWer, and can be downright patronising.
However, across all social classes, cultures and geographical locations, we are spending more and more time inside, on screen, less active.
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scotroutes: see I can spell bee and wasp. I have never watched DrWho…

We I am generalising here. I also suspect (as Drac points out) that the generalisations are less likely to apply to the average STWer, and can be downright patronising.
However, across all social classes, cultures and geographical locations, we are spending more and more time inside, on screen, less active.

Ah that’s probably fair but it’s something that annoys me as still think it’s too much of a generalisation. That said I do know a few kids who don’t venture out but their parents really don’t try too hard, which is my original point. It’s not hard to get kids outside kids loves to run around at the beach, a forest trail, a narrow hedgerow path. They stop dead if they see a slug, a bee or interesting flower.

Of course having this on your doorstep who can blame them.

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Alnwick Castle[/url] by Lee Collis[/url], on Flickr

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Middle Hill towards Uswayford[/url] by Lee Collis[/url], on Flickr

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Low Steads Beach[/url] by Lee Collis[/url], on Flickr

It’s not hard to get kids outside kids loves to run around at the beach, a forest trail, a narrow hedgerow path. They stop dead if they see a slug, a bee or interesting flower.

^this. Even in city centre – I am being amazed by the spaces I am finding in Glasgow, Edinburgh, Stirling, Motherwell, Wishaw, Aberdeen etc at the moment.