Turns out one of the best ways to reduce your kid’s screen time is in your own backyard…or is your backyard, more accurately.

Research has shown that excessive screen time is detrimental to children’s development. A new study out of the University of Michigan found that having access to green space, defined as “parks, lawns, and forests,” is a great incentive for kids to step away from the iPad, TV, phones, and video games, and therefore help improve their overall health and well-being.

“Neighborhood green spaces may draw children out of the house and give them an alternative space to engage in activities other than screen time," according to Ian-Marshall Lang, lead study author and researcher at University of Michigan's School of Kinesiology. The key to reducing screen time, though, is having access to green space and the opportunity for kids to play there, which not everyone is lucky enough to have.

Sure, in the majority of the country, parks, lawns, and forests are more brown and white than green this time of year, but you can still use these spots to your advantage if you’re looking for ways to get your family outdoors and reduce screen time at home. It might just take a little creativity. 

Consider adding these outdoor play ideas to your cold weather bucket list and to break up the sedentary winter. Just use your parental judgment and don’t do try any of these when temps are below freezing, because that’s not fun for anyone, okay? Otherwise, bundle up and give one or a few of these 11 ideas a go...

• Schedule a playdate with a classmate at a neighborhood playground instead of at home (Bonus: You might have it all to yourselves)

• Relocate your child’s favorite indoor activity — board games, crafting, puzzles, or Legos —  to a picnic table or gazebo at the park

• Try some imaginative play with outdoor equipment such as a backyard swingset or a basketball hoop

• Make s’mores or hot chocolate by a backyard fire pit

• Share “campfire” stories around the fire pit

• Build an obstacle course using outdoor toys such as hoola hoops and pool noodles

• Visit a nature preserve in your area. Some even host winter-themed events such as maple sugaring, guided hikes, or birdwatching

• Play backyard games such as giant Connect 4 or stomp rockets

• DIY a bird-feeder using bird food, peanut butter, and pine cones 

• Make a nature maze using things you’ll find on the ground in winter such as pine cones and sticks

• Throw on your rain boots and jump through puddles

To learn more about the study on green space and screen time, click HERE.

How do you entice your kids to play outside in the winter?

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