Why don't kids play outside anymore?

[Northland]

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 had several games we played outside. There was tag, backyard baseball, touch football, cowboys and indians (now defunct due to a p.c. society), tree climbing (now defunct due to deforestation as clone houses spring up everywhere and trees are chopped down), in autumn there was the enjoyment of running and jumping into a pile of leaves, where trees still exist, the leaves must now be bagged, no fun allowed. There were all sorts of other outdoor games, many of which were created as we went along.

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.

That, and the sad fact that the media places fear in parents everywhere. If the varnish on the bench or toys in the park don't kill your child, then they will be abducted or worse. When I was growing up, sad as it was, children died and disappeared. I knew of one boy who died of leukemia, one who died as the result of a fall from a window, one who was stabbed to death while working at the A&P (he was only 16), and the girl with asthma who collapsed in the schoolyard one hot June day and died that night. There were also 3 who I know of that sustained major injuries from being struck by cars. Another child simply disappeared, and to the best of my knowledge has never been found. Parents knew there were risks as there always have been; they did not however, let that fear take over their every waking moment and action.

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

With more children being kept inside with television, video games and computers, there is less physical activity and as has been seen again and again, this is accompanied by snacking, often on high fat, high sodium foods all washed down with sugary drinks. The combination of an increase in childhood obesity and type-2 diabetes is killing off more children than most of the causes of death visited upon children of previous generations. The bad news is that government and big business have no intentions of letting this change.

 

[36DD]

Unfortunately it is a necessity to keep our children from running care-free, and unfortunately our kids grow up too soon these days...having to be street smart and knowledgeable on "unsafe touching", and being taught to scream when strangers approach...but that is the world in which we live. My kids never played out front unless I was there...they could play in the backyard anytime they wanted to...they also didn't go to someone's house to play if there was a gun there. You may think I'm paranoid all you want, but I can't tell you how relieved I am to know that I'm not the mother of the child I hear about that was shot by his playmates. I think this is a sad commentary on our society when children can no longer be children...I know first-hand of children molested, raped and murdered and I'm sure any parent hearing themselves say "if only"... they would tell you to keep your kids close. Mine have been through hell and back after witnessing their own mother be raped in the "safety" of our own home.

 

[Osiris]

Unfortunately it is a necessity to keep our children from running care-free, and unfortunately our kids grow up too soon these days...having to be street smart and knowledgeable on "unsafe touching", and being taught to scream when strangers approach...but that is the world in which we live. My kids never played out front unless I was there...they could play in the backyard anytime they wanted to...they also didn't go to someone's house to play if there was a gun there. You may think I'm paranoid all you want, but I can't tell you how relieved I am to know that I'm not the mother of the child I hear about that was shot by his playmates. I think this is a sad commentary on our society when children can no longer be children...I know first-hand of children molested, raped and murdered and I'm sure any parent hearing themselves say "if only"... they would tell you to keep your kids close. Mine have been through hell and back after witnessing their own mother be raped in the "safety" of our own home.

And I read things like this and know why instead of innocent children, I have to raise kid's that are "Adult Lite". The fact I have to talk to my 5 year old about "unwanted touching" and things like that really make me sad.

I just wish a kid could have a place where a kid could be a kid. And I do NOT mean Toys R Us.

 

[Randll86]

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?



If anything I would say the world is less violent, It is just in your face all the time thanks to all the media available .

 

[Not_Punny]

If I'd had an xbox 360 live as a child I would never have become who I am today, which would have been sad. (Not that I'm the greatest, it's just that what I do for a living is a very niche profession, and I owe it all to the type of book-intense, imagination-intense childhood that I had.)

Skateboards are about the only answer to "free form" exercise nowadays, and everybody hates skateboarders where I live, especially the police. But it's real exercise -- and perfect for an urban jungle.

Luckily, there are a lot of hills where I live, so my kids walk a lot. :tongue:

 

[Jovial]

We played outside a lot. I still see kids playing outside. Maybe it depends on the area.

I used to ride a bike a lot. I had two older brothers. I remember one time we built a jump out of cinder blocks and wood. We'd pedal as fast as we could and see how far we could jump. Sometimes one of us would lie down in front of the jump while another jumped. All this without helmets. We'd also race down the road to see who was fastest. Or we'd have relay bike races through our yard around trees and other obstacles. No wonder we never had much grass in our yard. :redface: I used to practice pulling wheelies. I eventually learned to ride the length of our street while pulling a wheelie.

We also played the usual games: football, basketball, capture the flag, ultimate frisbee, kickball, stickball, softball, badminton, croquet. Also road skateboards.

We explored in the woods and streams in our area. (Got plenty of ticks and poison ivy that way.) Also went fishing at a shitty little pond near our house. We'd play with ants and other insects. Dig up ant's nests and watch them trying to save the eggs. We also climbed trees.

We jumped in piles of leaves in the fall like someone else mentioned. And of course when it snowed we went sledding, had snowball fights, built snowmen, built igloos or snow forts (to be used in the snowball fights).

We had videos games: Atari and later Colecovision. Having lived through the golden age of arcade games, we went to local arcades and played there. A lot of times having to ride a bike half an hour to get there. We'd stop at McDonald's or some other place for food, then ride back home.

I'd think if I had kids I'd be scared to let them do what I did. But then again, I think 12+ year olds in a group are pretty safe. When I was younger than that, there were usually older kids with me. And it's better to let the kids play when they are young to develop their balance and judgment. Kids heal a lot faster than adults.

I think I benefited from living in a fairly rural area. Also having brothers and other kids in the neighborhood made it a little safer. I don't think it's any more dangerous today then 25 years ago, it's just that it seems that way. I guess if you want to feel safe, move to an area that is safe for you kids to play outside.

 

[36DD]

And it's better to let the kids play when they are young to develop their balance and judgment.

I'm all for play so long as kids are safe, they don't have the judgment of adults.


Kids heal a lot faster than adults.


Do they? Shall I tell my children that next time they have to block out an ugly image from their minds?

 

[findfirefox]

I don't see kids playing outside but then again I'm in downtown...

I do see teenagers making asses of themselves still.

 

[Jovial]

And it's better to let the kids play when they are young to develop their balance and judgment.

I'm all for play so long as kids are safe, they don't have the judgment of adults.

Kids heal a lot faster than adults.

Do they? Shall I tell my children that next time they have to block out an ugly image from their minds?

I meant judgment in terms of physical activity like balance and agility, or throwing things around or swinging sticks around. I think if kids develop that early then they will be more active in sports and exercise when they get older.

And healing I meant physical injuries. It's better for an 8 year old to fall and get hurt and learn from that than someone older and bigger.

Some things are best learned from experience. I'm not sure what kind of ugly images you're referring to.

 

[36DD]

I meant judgment in terms of physical activity like balance and agility, or throwing things around or swinging sticks around. I think if kids develop that early then they will be more active in sports and exercise when they get older.

And healing I meant physical injuries. It's better for an 8 year old to fall and get hurt and learn from that than someone older and bigger.

Some things are best learned from experience. I'm not sure what kind of ugly images you're referring to.

Just read my above post...I think it speaks for itself and may clear up any confusion as to why I took what you said the way in which I did.

 

[B_NineInchCock_160IQ]

1. video games

2. internet

3. paranoid overprotective parents

 

[agnslz]

Hmm, my nephews and nieces and my neighbor's kids are always playing outside. Perhaps it's just poor kids whose parents can't afford video game systems, computers and the like that are still growing up like this? I know when I was little (in the late eighties) all we ever used to do was play outside in the dirt, in the rain, and in the street. We simply didn't have things like cable TV, video games and the computer to keep us inside all day. We'd also go the community center, or simply "the center" as we used to call it, and play pool, basketball and other activities with the other kids. We'd also go on field trips roller skating or to the movies on summer nights with the youth program at the center. It was really quite fun. And today, my nephews and nieces are all enrolled in the after school programs at their schools and in the summer programs at their community centers. I guess my point is that not every kid of recent generations has grown up or is growing up inactive.

 

[SpoiledPrincess]

My kids played outside all the time but I was lucky enough to have a large grassy treed area which I could see from the kitchen window, if playing outside had meant them going off somewhere where I couldn't see they were ok they'd have been kept inside. There are so many kids disappearing these days it's just not worth the risk, statistically the odds are low that your kid will be harmed/abducted/killed, to those parents who played the odds and lost a child I'm positive they'd have wished they'd kept their kid inside watching tv or playing games and growing fat.

 

[snoozan]

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

this gives me fond memories of the day you and i tried out all the newfangled playground equipment that is way cooler than what we had as a kid and your dog's leash almost amputated my feet.

 

[B_Think_Kink]

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

EEEXXXAAACCCTTTTLLLYYY!
Furthermore... I don't get a good enough reception with my laptop or do I want it to sit in the sun. It's a funny sort of thing I guess. I'll go out when the sun is really hot so I can tan, or to take my critters outside but I hate sitting in the grass I get rashes from it. I hate being sweaty I just like to be in controlled environments. We don't have a/c so it's warm inside all the time.

 

[IntoxicatingToxin]

My son still plays outside. Him and his friends make up games and whatnot. I'm only there to make sure that he stays somewhere nearby so I can see him... but other than that, I don't try to control his play time.

 

[B_Think_Kink]

My son still plays outside. Him and his friends make up games and whatnot. I'm only there to make sure that he stays somewhere nearby so I can see him... but other than that, I don't try to control his play time.

That's fantastic. It is said that children require 40 minutes of undisturbed play to get the benefits out of it that they need.

 

[London_Calling]

Over the past couple of days a 17 year old was murdered, another victim of gun crime, which takes the total of murdered teenagers in London this year to 23....

Scary stuff!

 

[griplock22]

because of terrorism

 

[griplock22]

although seriously, i know plenty of kids me who play outside...maybe nto doing things like, " playing stick ball, selling lemonade, catching frogs" but from my experience children still are outside riding bikes sometimes, or playing football(soccer), or just generally loitering and stuff.
i suppose not to the extent that it was in the days without internet/video games and stuff, but to be fair...when you were young, if you had things like that would you have been outside , "playing stick ball, selling lemonade, catching frogs etc".