Why don't kids play outside anymore?

[earllogjam]

I never see kids outside anymore - riding bikes, playing stick ball, selling lemonade, catching frogs. If they are there is always an adult looming around them telling them what they can and can't do.

Has unstructured play disappeared from kids lives today?

Did you play outside as a kid?

 

[Adam875]

Guess you're from the US, Earl? It's just the same over here in the UK. No kids bike-riding, exploring the countryside, tree-climbing, maybe getting into a bit of harmless mischief like we used to do. We have some lovely woods nearby and I was only walking through them yesterday and thinking this very thing. We never ever come across kids in those woods, whether accompanied or not, and there are a lot living around. As kids we would have been in there, climbing, making dens, tracking, playing hide and seek, cops and robbers - you name it. My guess is that, apart from being glued to their PC's most of the time, the paedo-paranoia of the past 20 years has led parents to make prisoners of their children. They seem to know of little save their bedroom walls and the street to school (and to the local fast-food or 'chippie', of course). "Go out and play and don't come back till tea-time" would be an unthinkable parental order these days.

 

[Stephie]

why play out side when you have video game systems that the graphics are so realistic that its almost like you are outside lol

 

[B_tallbig]

Yep i notice that too . Playing outside was very popular when i was a kid

 

[B_tallbig]

why play out side when you have video game systems that the graphics are so realistic that its almost like you are outside lol

Video games when i was a kid were very primitive . Today systems offer almost photography quality graphics .

 

[D_Ted Riding Hooded]

why play out side when you have video game systems that the graphics are so realistic that its almost like you are outside lol

I don't think I'll play outside tonight.....just sit here and look a Stephie's pics!! yum:

 

[D_Ted Riding Hooded]

I never see kids outside anymore - riding bikes, playing stick ball, selling lemonade, catching frogs. If they are there is always an adult looming around them telling them what they can and can't do.

Has unstructured play disappeared from kids lives today?

Did you play outside as a kid?

We used to play 'Kerbie'......Just too many cars on the road now!!
Or just try and jump the canal...if you fell in, even better... No chance of doing that either nowadays..

 

[D_Roland_D_Hay]

And have you also noticed that the kids are bigger than they used to be? Obiesity is rampant amongst our youth. My neighbor shared that his kids no longer are required to have PE/GYM class after the 7th grade. With video games and perverts I guess this is what our society has to deal with. Very sad...

I remember growing up playing outside most of the time...we had to be home when the street lights went on during the summer. We went home or someone elses home for meals and the rest of the day was spent outside.

 

[Stephie]

if the kids do go outside maybe its because of the Ice Cream man?

 

[earllogjam]

Guess you're from the US, Earl? It's just the same over here in the UK. No kids bike-riding, exploring the countryside, tree-climbing, maybe getting into a bit of harmless mischief like we used to do. We have some lovely woods nearby and I was only walking through them yesterday and thinking this very thing. We never ever come across kids in those woods, whether accompanied or not, and there are a lot living around. As kids we would have been in there, climbing, making dens, tracking, playing hide and seek, cops and robbers - you name it. My guess is that, apart from being glued to their PC's most of the time, the paedo-paranoia of the past 20 years has led parents to make prisoners of their children. They seem to know of little save their bedroom walls and the street to school (and to the local fast-food or 'chippie', of course). "Go out and play and don't come back till tea-time" would be an unthinkable parental order these days.

Adam, yes I live in the US. I played a lot outside as a kid, unsupervised, building forts, climbing trees, making go-carts, catching frogs, bike riding, playing stick ball, rummaging thru junk yards. I think it was very healthy looking back to find my own interests, get along with other kids, dealing with obstacles and using my imagination and just getting exercise. Seems like most kids activities today are structured and controled, whether it is soccer, ballet or piano lessons. Kids are forced to do activites to just be active away from the television or computer screen. They are told what to do every minute of their day. With some of my neices they are at a loss when they are asked to do something on their own - they seem always to need acknowledgement or an OK to do things and always feel like they are being judged (which they often are). Never have I seen so many metals and ribbons for just participating in kid activities as I do now. Was there ever a 10th place ribbon when you were growing up? They have little initiative or creativity outside of this structure and supervision. It worries me.

I am suprised that the same thing is happening in the UK. I don't know if it is for the same reasons it is here in the states.

 

[D_Roland_D_Hay]

if the kids do go outside maybe its because of the Ice Cream man?

You may have something there...in the summer thats when I see their large asses waddling out to the truck!

 

[Ethyl]

What are you talking about? I still play outside. :biggrin1:

 

[earllogjam]

We used to play 'Kerbie'......Just too many cars on the road now!!
Or just try and jump the canal...if you fell in, even better... No chance of doing that either nowadays..

I suspect all those "dangerous" canals and exciting places we used to play have all been cemented over or fenced off in the name of safety and the general mommyfication and law suit prevention of a kid's world these days.

What is Kerbie?

And have you also noticed that the kids are bigger than they used to be? Obiesity is rampant amongst our youth. My neighbor shared that his kids no longer are required to have PE/GYM class after the 7th grade. With video games and perverts I guess this is what our society has to deal with. Very sad...

I remember growing up playing outside most of the time...we had to be home when the street lights went on during the summer. We went home or someone elses home for meals and the rest of the day was spent outside.

Rico, the only place these days you see kids in public is at the shopping mall. The last time I went a few weeks ago I was absolutely shocked on how many obese kids were there. Those statistics are no lie.

I have heard that child type 2 diabetes is also epidemic in this country as well. Thank you McDonalds.

 

[earllogjam]

What are you talking about? I still play outside. :biggrin1:

Nymphs don't count.:smile:

 

[D_Roland_D_Hay]

Rico, the only place these days you see kids in public is at the shopping mall. The last time I went a few weeks ago I was absolutely shocked on how many obese kids were there. Those statistics are no lie.

I have heard that child type 2 diabetes is also epidemic in this country as well. Thank you McDonalds.[/quote]

And Wendy's and Burger King and Steak and Shake and...well the list goes on. I am not slamming the fast food business, I am disapointed with the lack of exercise. What have we done to our youth???

 

[Ethyl]

Nymphs don't count.:smile:

Today i'm not a nymph. I'm a tree fairy. Who knows what i'll be tomorrow? :tongue:

 

[whatireallywant]

I think there is fear on the part of parents because of the pedophiles and other criminals out there. Unfortunate, but these fears are justified.

That said, I do think there needs to be a safe place where kids can play outside, whether structured activities like sports, or unstructured.

I lived out in the country as a kid, and it's probably fortunate in some ways that I did, although unfortunate in others. I played outside a lot, but always played alone. The other girls "didn't want to get their dresses dirty" so they wouldn't play the active games like I enjoyed, and the boys wouldn't play with girls. So I was always alone. Even at recess at school, most of the time I was alone. I did occasionally get to play some structured active games with other kids, like Red Rover, though. Loved that!

At home I'd go running through the field, go to the creek that was on my parents' property, etc. etc. I may not have had other kids to play with, especially at home, but I did have "true" friends - dogs and cats. :smile:

 

[Osiris]

I was a big outside player when I was a kid. Big Wheels, Green Machines, Dirt Bikes, you name it. Our kids play outside, but it is modified from my day. Our 5 year old will play outsuide in the yard with us either in sight from the house or outside with them. OUr little guy will go to friends houses and play in the yard, but we don't let them out unsupervised primarily for all the idiots out there who prey on children. In my posh neighborhood, I have no less than 5 sex offenders within a 5 mile radius of my house and two of them are rated high level sex offenders.

I would love for my kids to have the freedom and ability to live and play like I did as a child, but the times have become a lot more violent since we were kids earl. It really makes me sad to think about sometimes.

 

[D_Ted Riding Hooded]

What is Kerbie?

Basically, two people stand either side of a road and you take it in turns to throw a football at the kerb on the opposite side. If it hit the kerb you got a point...and if you caught the ball after it had hit the kerb, your next throw was from the middle of the road.....Well that's how we played it.. Different streets had different 'rules'!!

 

[B_ScaredLittleBoy]

Just wondering: have times really become more violent or is it just that now we're more aware of how violent people are and how many violent people are out there?

I wonder what the trigger was, if it was a sudden increase?

Could be parenting.

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Hehe curby (are curb and kerb both acceptable spellings?)

Another good game is wally. All the 'y' games were good. Wally is where you kick the ball at the wall with one touch. If you miss the wall or have more than one touch you're out.

Good times.

PS 'kerb' looks wrong to me...looks German or something. I always spell it 'curb'