Children spending less time outdoors than prisoners
Posted on in Business News , Cycles News , Outdoor News
Three quarters of youngsters (74 per cent) are not spending an hour a day in the fresh air - the time recommended for prison inmates.
In fact, outdoor play is in dramatic decline with a third of children playing outside for 30 minutes or less in a typical day and one in five not playing outside at all.
And 62 per cent of parents believe their child has fewer opportunities to play than they did, found the poll of 12,000 parents worldwide, commissioned by Persil to launch the ‘Dirt is Good' campaign.
In the UK, the unreliable British weather (82 per cent), lack of time (31 per cent) and children wanting to stay inside (31 per cent) were among the top barriers to outdoor play.
77per cent of parents admitted that their children often refuse to play games without some form of technology being involve.
Three quarters (75 per cent) report that their child prefers to play virtual sports on a screen inside rather than playing ‘real' sports outside.
The knock-on effect is that children are growing up increasingly detached from nature.
More than half (54 per cent) could not identify an oak tree, and nearly two thirds (64 per cent) were unable to identify the iconic spring Crocus flower.
Mark Sears, chief wild officer at The Wild Network, said: "This research highlights everything that we know about today's children - they aren't getting enough outdoor play and it has serious consequences.
"Yet the evidence is overwhelming - outdoor play is vital for children, it makes them happier and healthier."