July 2018 - EASTERN OREGON PARENT - 13
Five great ways to unplug and get your kids outdoors
By JAN PIERCE
Family life can be hectic. After a
busy day of preparing meals, snacks
and overseeing homework projects,
breaking up squabbles and keeping
up with dishes and laundry, parents
are often more than happy to “pop
in a video” as they say, and watch
their brood settle into wide-eyed,
quiet little people.
But I’m also aware that many
children rarely see the light of day
except when in transit from school
to home, where they immediately
turn something on — the televi-
sion, a video player, a computer or
a computer game. It’s become a
huge problem for children and it’s
affecting their health. These tech-
nological wonders have their place
in both the educational realm and
for entertainment, but it has been
said that today’s children have
a “nature deficit disorder.” They
know little or nothing of the out-
door world around them and don’t
care to spend time exploring it. The
pull of today’s electronic offerings
is extremely strong and it’s hard
to manage. But experts
say a lot can be ac-
complished in just
a few minutes
of outdoor
play each day.
And once
the enjoy-
ment begins,
kids will want
more.
There’s a
growing move-
ment among par-
ents and community
HEATHER A. BACON, PH.D. &
JENNIFER K. COOPER, PSY.D
Licensed Clinical Psychologists
Helping parents discover new ways to shape
behavior and reconnect with children.
Currently accepting new patients.
Most insurance and private pay accepted.
860 W. Elm Ave., Suite 204, Hermiston, OR 97838
541-289-7777 • hermistonpsych.com
leaders to organize and encourage
quality outdoor experiences for
today’s children. Virtually no one
doubts the advantages of time out-
doors for our kids, but bad habits
are hard to break. Here are five tips
for fun and interesting ways to
get the whole family out
of doors to experi-
ence the beauty
and enjoyment
of nature.
Grow and
eat some-
thing. Kids
quickly learn
to enjoy gar-
dening when
they do the
work themselves
and when they’re
part of harvesting — en-
joying the fruit of their labors.
One organization that facilitates
such hands-on gardening projects
is the Farm-based Education Asso-
ciation. They offer outdoor events
for the entire family for an annual
fee. Check to see if they or a similar
organization is active in your area.
Observe or collect something.
When children begin to observe
and interact with nature they build
a greater respect for the care of
the planet. Increase their wonder
by taking short excursions for the
sole purpose of observing what is
under that rock or hiding within
the bark of a tree. Begin a nature
collection as simple as establishing
My Box of Rocks or My Collection
of Pinecones. It doesn’t take much
to begin the journey to a greater
appreciation of nature.
Recycle or reuse something.
While some of the action in recy-
cling takes place indoors, the em-
phasis is on maintaining the beauty
Strategies
and cleanliness of our outdoor
world. At littlegreenblog.com you’ll
find lots of ideas related to living in
sync with nature.
Build something. Have some
family fun with a building project
such as a simple fort (plans online
at www.thisoldhouse.com/how-to/
how-to-build-fort). Kids will spend
hours in the out-of-doors with a
simple backdrop and the whole fam-
ily will enjoy the building process.
Hike somewhere. Younger chil-
dren will always enjoy a ramble in
the woods with their loved ones. As
children get older, they may need
the incentive of linking the out of
doors to a hobby such as photog-
raphy or geocaching. Visit www.
KidsUnplugged.org to find an orga-
nization that plans outdoor family
events, perhaps in your area. If
not, see their listing of many other
groups who have banded together
for the same purpose: getting kids
unplugged and outdoors.
There are many other organiza-
tions that care about children and
the importance of helping them
enjoy our beautiful world. Here are
a few more you can learn about
online:
• www.thebigoutside.com
• www.littlefamilyadventure.com
• getchildrenoutdoors.com
________
Jan Pierce, M.Ed. is a retired teach-
er and freelance writer based in
Vancouver, WA. She is the author of
“Homegrown Readers: Simple Ways
to Help Your Child Learn to Read.”
Her website is www.janpierce.net.