Kids need outdoor, unsupervised play: non-profit

Only nine per cent of Canadian children are meeting national guidelines for physical activity needed to maintain good health, says ParticipACTION, a non-profit dedicated to getting people moving. Children between the ages of five and 17 should get at least one hour a day of moderate to vigorous activity—enough to get their hearts pumping faster and to get out of breath.

Over-supervision limits activity

“Over-supervising kids or keeping them indoors to ensure they are safe limits their opportunities for physical activity, endangering their long-term health,” says a news release announcing the 2015 Report Card on Physical Activity for Children and Youth.

“We’re seeing more and more in reports that when kids are unsupervised or when kids are allowed to play outside in natural environments or new environments that they’re actually more active,” says Alanna LeBlanc, a knowledge manager with ParticipACTION.

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Outdoor play more interesting, challenging

“So by supervising our kids, or keeping them indoors, or keeping them on these pre-fabricated playgrounds, kids are not as active. They see that as not as interesting, not as challenging…and they’re also not gaining new skills or gaining more confidence to take risks, to better themselves in certain activities. And these activities will follow them through life,” says LeBlanc.

Parents want to protect kids

Many Canadian parents are afraid of injuries or child abduction and restrict their children’s play. But LeBlanc says the vast majority of injuries are minor and the odds of a child being abducted are estimated to be about one in 14 million.

“I think a lot of this excess supervision really comes from ‘we want to protect our kids, we want the best for our kids.’ But in that we’re giving up the short-term injury prevention for long term health.”

By getting active, says LeBlanc, children will like be more active as adults and avoid chronic diseases like diabetes and certain types of cancer.