Photo adapted from youth-570881_1920 Jill111 @ pixabay.com
Okay, pop quiz time! What do all of the children in the photos below have in common?
Photos from pixabay.com
I suppose you could come up with any number of commonalities, but there are really just two I’m thinking about today:
- Outside
- Joy
I’ve spent the past two weeks writing about reasons for people to get outside, but it’s the joy on these kids’ faces that says much more than any of my words ever could. Being outdoors is natural for kids; they thrive there. I’ve seen it in my own family; when my kids are stuck inside during bad weather, they’re irritable and aimless. One afternoon outside, and that all changes.
I know there are always exceptions–kids who hate being outside and families who aren’t able to get outside due to geography, weather, violence, or illness. However, I can’t help but think about this quote from Stacey Loscalzos in the article “Why Playing Outdoors Makes Children Smarter“:
Outdoor play is fun. Children who are happy are successful learners. Children are naturally happy when they are moving, playing and creating outside. This joy opens them up for experimenting, learning and growing.
What brings you joy? What brings your family joy?
Amy Morris-Jones 
So true! When we see kids playing outside, my wife and I will look at one another and remark, “Wow, were those kids actually playing outdoors? No video games? Wow!”
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It’s sad that kids outside are unusual, but that seems to be the norm now. When kids forget how to play, we could be in trouble!
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this is so true! i have no kids yet but i am the eldest among six siblings. our youngest a four-year old lass and she surely enjoys playing outside. 😀
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We adults have a lot to learn from kids!
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i cannot agree more! 😀
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Let’s revamp our schools then and incorporate free play outdoors as part of the curriculum.
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My husband and I joke that we should open a school based around experiential education–all “go and do” rather than sit and stare.
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My children don’t care what it’s doing outside…sun, rain, sleet, hail, tornado…they want to be out digging in the dirt. We spent 2 hours outside in drizzly, cold weather last week and they had a blast. I had to bribe them inside with hot chocolate (works every time).
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It’s really sad that more kids aren’t like that these days!
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Sadly, what brings us joy is eating too much pizza. We did that last night. Travel also brings us joy, and we love to give each other a hard time a lot. Ugh, we are a stinky family. Haha!
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That sounds about like this household! Raising boys is… interesting! 😉
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