Get Kids Outdoors

 A pre-Christmas Neilsen survey reports 44 percent of kids between the ages of six and 12 had an iPad on their wish list. No report on how many saw that wish come true, but electronics certainly dominate the lives of children these days – and the National Wildlife Federation is trying to help families pare down the average eight hours a day kids spend in front of screens. Foundation naturalist David Mizejewski says even in states like Wyoming with vast outdoor resources, kids still tend to prefer technology. However, the survey says the average Wyoming child spends between three and four hours outdoors every day – although 65 percent of parents say they want their kids to spend even more time outside. Mizejewski says there’s a vast amount of research showing that outdoor time for kids is good for grades, behavior and health. Mizejewski says the best outdoor time for maximum benefits for children should be unstructured – just letting them poke around and explore, either alone or with friends and parents.