Let Them Play Outside
All you need to do is tune into the news to become totally paranoid about letting your kids play outdoors. But the outside play doesn’t necessarily mean “unsupervised” play, so you should encourage kids to get out of the house and play independently. “Kids now are overwhelmingly sedentary, spending endless hours with electronics at the expense of experiencing nature, challenging their motor skills, and learning to navigate social relationships in person,” Dr. Chaye Lamm Warburg DPS, OTR/L, a pediatric occupational therapist in New Jersey, tells Romper. “While the world has changed, the ways children’s brains and bodies develop hasn’t! They still require sensorimotor play, physical challenges, and personal interaction.” So lace up those sneaks, and get your kids running, tumbling, and laughing in the great outdoors.