:: Let’s Get Our Kids Outdoors ::
One of the greatest gifts of having this blog, for Nicole and I, has been the online community of other bloggers we have met in the past eight months. Not only have we gathered helpful advice and guidance from these accomplished women… we have also been exposed to their wealth of knowledge and talent through reading their personal posts, freelance writing pieces, and photography. It’s been incredibly inspiring!
One of our favorite local bloggers is Michele from Fun Orange County Parks. In addition to her amazingly helpful blog {where she highlights local places to play & explore}, she also contributes thought provoking articles to the OC Family Magazine. This month her story made the cover {Congratulations, Michele}! I was thrilled when contacted by her a couple months ago when she asked permission to use bits and pieces of my post {Family Time} to quote in her article!
{click the image above for a digital version of the July, 2013 issue of the OC Family magazine}
In her cover story, “Get Your Kids Outdoors” {which begins on page 54}, she explains how “playing in a natural environment, which offers a multitude of benefits, may soon be a thing of the past.” She also reveals staggering statistics of how many hours per week U.S. children spend in front of electronic media {any guesses?}, and the decrease in the percentage of time kids participate in unstructured play compared to past generations.
It is truly a fantastic article that every parent should read {local to the area or not}. It will open your eyes to how our children are currently being raised in the U.S. and what you can do to make sure that natural play is not in “danger of extinction.” In addition, Michele lists great local resources to get your kids outside and exploring the great outdoors this summer!
I hope you’ll join Nicole and I, as we vow to join the “outdoor play movement” for the betterment of our children and future generations to come!
