A recent Kaiser Family Foundation study found that the average American child spends 44 hours a week in front of an electronic screen (computer, television, etc.). As concern over childhood obesity continues, people like Richard Louv – author of "Last Child in the Woods" – are suggesting that it's time for families to schedule less and play more.

"...a growing wave of research indicates that children who spend time outdoors are healthier, overall, than their indoor counterparts. Children who regularly spend unstructured time outside play more creatively, have lower stress levels, have more active imaginations, become more active and fitter, develop stronger immune systems, experience fewer symptoms of ADD and ADHD, have greater respect for themselves, for others and for the environment."

To give parents some ideas for outdoor play, the National Wildlife Federation has created a website: www.greenhour.org on which it offers ideas for backyard adventures and outdoor exploration.

Labels: exercise, fitness, playgrounds

School playgrounds and recreational facilities could play a major role in helping to combat childhood obesity - but only if they remain open and accessible, says a recent RAND corporation study.

In many low-income areas where there is limited or no access to neighborhood parks, children are often heavier and more sedentary. Access to playgrounds, basketball courts and paved playing surfaces - such as those found in schools - could help to increase opportunities for physical activity. But many schools are closing their doors and their playground areas on weekends, researchers found.

Of those areas observed in the study, Washington/Baltimore, Tucson, and New Orleans schools were least likely to have unlocked schools with accessible facilities.

Labels: exercise, playgrounds, schools

School playgrounds and athletic fields could help reduce childhood obesity by giving children near-by places to run and play. However, recent studies have shown that many of these places are closed and locked on weekends.

"Girls who lived near locked schools tended to be heavier, and neighborhoods with locked schools were disproportionately poor and had larger minority populations', lead author Molly M. Scott, a RAND research analyst, said in a prepared statement."

Where public playgrounds and parks are lacking or unavailable, school playgrounds can offer children accessible, safe recreation areas... if they're unlocked. Read more at BabyCenter.com.

Labels: exercise, neighborhoods, playgrounds