Photo Credit: Flickr 

By Chin Siew Ying

Today’s kids spend a lot of time on their tablets, laptops, television, computers and mobile phones. Browsing the internet, connecting with people on social media and playing games have been the norm of the younger generation. 

On the other hand, the older generation used to invent and play outdoor games when they were kids as the only electronic devices most households had were televisions, radios and rotary dial phones. 

When kids are not active when it comes to playing, it will lead to a sedentary lifestyle that would cause health issues such as obesity. As such, it is important for parents to encourage their kids to spend some time playing outdoors and keeping fit. Parents could take their kids for a walk in the park or hiking when the weather is good. The occasional time away from the screen will be beneficial for children’s health. 

Playing outdoors would be similar to a good exercise. Parents could also accompany or play with their children outdoors. Games such as badminton and tennis could be played outdoors. These games could be enjoyed by both adults and children. 

There are some outdoor games that parents could recommend to children. Some of these games might already be familiar to children. Hide-and-seek, hopscotch, jump-rope, tag and blind man’s buff are some of the popular kids’ games since many years ago and every child would enjoy it. 

Kids who spend time outside would also develop an appreciation for nature. They would have watched the birds and butterflies flying around and also admired the trees and flowers around them. They would also get to make new friends around the neighbourhood when they play at playgrounds at parks near their homes. 

To make it fun for kids to play outdoors, parents could also prepare a treasure or scavenger hunt at nearby parks or even in the backyard. The key is to get them excited to spend time outdoors and have some fun. Besides having fun, parents would also need to keep an eye on their kids to ensure that they are safe when they are playing around. 

** The views expressed on this opinion is of the writer and not the publisher