This may seem profound and obvious to some, but outdoor play has faded in recent decades, like the fashion of the 90s (I’m talking Cross Colours, FUBU, etc.). I think you get my point!

My passion for youth work started in 2010. My specialty is Strength & Conditioning, Sports Specific Training, and Coaching Club Teams. I have a Master’s Degree from DePaul (Sports, Fitness, and Recreational Leadership).

Over the years, I have experienced a tremendous decline in the mental and physical health capacity of youth. There are a plethora of factors that I can discuss, but for the sake of keeping this blog short, I would like to highlight the lack of outdoor activities.

Outdoor activities are essential to the holistic development of our youth, as they contribute to physical, cognitive, social, and emotional health and well-being (Charan et al., 2024). The shift from outdoor activities due to the COVID pandemic and increased screen time helped us navigate the disruption caused by government lockdowns.

With that said Screentime is a good thing! We are connected to the world because of these devices. But a healthy balance is necessary if we’re going to address the health issues associated with screen time vs. lack of movement. In fact, the lack of movement in concert with screen time has been linked to “disrupted sleep patterns, attention deficit hyperactive disorder-like behavior and physical health risk” (Charan et al., 2024).

My kids, Leo, age 10, and Wren, age 8, attend a charter school in Indiana that promotes outdoor play, nature education, and most importantly, parent involvement. Their school is not perfect, but I am pleased we are on the same page regarding outdoor activities.

My strategy with the kids is every day outdoors—and yes, even in the winter months (gear up!!). This summer, our longest hike was 3 miles. I was a proud Dad that day. Kids are strong and very resilient. They just need a gentle push from parents who care.

Parents, it is important to be involved in promoting outdoor play. Your involvement “strengthens family bonds and reinforces the intrinsic value of outdoor play (Charan et al., 2024).”

Coach Rich Gardner, M.S

Doctoral Student

Health & Human Performance

Charan GS, Kalia R, Khurana MS, Narang GS. From Screens to Sunshine: Rescuing Children’s Outdoor Playtime in the Digital Era. Journal of Indian Association for Child and Adolescent Mental Health. 2024;20(1):11-17.

Encouraging Outdoor Play