Do you feel that it can be difficult to unglue your kids from the screen, and that they spend too much time inside...? You are not alone.
During the pandemic, both children and teenagers increased their total screen time. When they analysed 89 different studies focusing on increases in screen time in connection with the pandemic, researchers from Anglia Ruskin University (ARU) found that they were associated with inferior diet, poor eye health, deteriorating mental health (including anxiety and loneliness) and behavioural problems.
Change the scenery
At the same time, 57 percent of children in Europe have never paddled a canoe across a shimmering lake or glittering fjord.
This was revealed in a survey conducted by Respons Analyse in which parents in four European countries, Germany, The Netherlands, Denmark, and Sweden, were asked about their habits around letting their children play freely in nature and spending time outdoors.
In Denmark, 68 percent of children have never experienced going for a mountain hike, due to lack of mountains. And 66 percent of children in Germany have never gone rock pooling – a traditional summertime seaside activity for Norwegian kids.
The parents also strongly agreed that it's important that their kids spend more time in nature than what they do today. So why not change their scenery?
A natural playground
In Norway we say that playing with dirt makes for happy kids! It's not unusual to meet a four year old on the ski slopes or mountaintops. Outdoor learning, where kids learn things while they're outside, has become more and more popular in recent years. As creatures of nature, children do not belong indoors.
Don't settle for a crowded, ordinary playground. Choose a natural, imaginative one that kids love instead. Norway is a natural playground and a world-class destination for adventurous young travellers. They are free to climb (and slip and fall) on the trees and rocks, play and work together, overcome challenges, and have lots of fun.