Little Aarav's playtime is mostly spent before TV; watching Chota Bheem, Doraemon or Ninja Hattori or playing with the new play-station his dad got for him last month. Looking at Aarav, and a lot many kids like him, we are made to think about our own childhood. Was it so controlled by gadgets and technology? Were we given a video game or mobile phone to play games?

Well, we are sure that most parents would relate to a childhood where they played loads and loads of outdoor games. After all, this was the only and certainly the best way of entertainment in those days. However, over the years this scenario has changed completely. Except for the small towns and villages, the sight of kids playing with vigor in the streets has turned very rare. This is mainly because:

• Kids spend more time sitting indoors watching TV or working on a computer.
• Parents confine them to indoors given the danger from strangers and growing crime against kids.
• The over-hygienic attitude is also one of the major problems deterring outdoor games.

Living the humdrum life, we have forgotten how important it is for the children to step outside and enjoy under the sky. Let us here understand why outdoors games are important and what we as parents can do to encourage our children to engage in some outdoor activities. Read on:  

Why Outdoor Games are Important?

Outdoor games help in the physical as well as mental development of kids. Outdoors indeed are the best place where your child can practice as well as master the emerging physical skills. It is there that they completely and freely experience their motor skills such as running, leaping, and jumping. Not just this, it is even the most ideal area for practicing ball-handling skills, such as throwing, striking, as well as striking. 

Apart from endless choices of playing different games with fellow kids, outdoor games also help your child in burning the extra calories and thus contribute in keeping them healthy and fit. The present lifestyle is quite a robotic one where even the kids behave like adults. They lead a scheduled routine which has no space for any outdoor activity. This is also because parents are busy and they find it easier to engage kids with TV, computer or mobile phones. But this remote controlled lifestyle is what leading to some severe problems in children such as obesity, weaker immune system and low levels of energy.

Health Benefits of Outdoor Games

• They improve vision in the children as they get to play in the open air where there are no harmful rays (like the ones emitting from TV and computer) to affect the eye in a negative way.

• While on a playground, children get to interact with each other, make new friends and thus improve their social skills.

• Exposure to the natural settings post school is widely effective in cutting down the attention loss symptoms in children.  

• Spending time outdoors while playing happens to be a great stress buster.

• Last, but surely not the least, it exposes them to adequate Vitamin D. However, it's good to ensure that they don't play for too long in the sun and always step out applying a sunscreen. 

How Parents Can Help?

If you want your child to reap all the benefits of outdoor games at his growing age, make sure you take the following steps: 

• Encourage your child to step outside the house and play games like catching the ball, hide and seek, cricket etc.

• Limit the use of video games and cell phones. This will apparently make the kids look for some outdoor activity.

• Accompany him or her to the nearest park and indulge in some fun games. If you can't dig out time on week days, do it on weekends.

• Fix a time for games so that everything else is carried out at the proper time.

• If there isn't anyone at home who can supervise the child while he or she plays outside, allot them some space outside the house. This way they will be safe within the boundary walls.

• Teach them about road safety and traffic rules. However, make sure they don't play near busy streets.   

Let them make the best use of their growing years as once they grow up, these will be one of the sweet childhood memories to cherish!