Inside the Outside
May 29, 2021 4:17 PM Subscribe
The 1000-Hour Outdoor Challenge. ""There is great research coming out showing that when children spend time outdoors, it's linked with a number of positive health outcomes," said Jason Bocarro, a professor in the department of parks, recreation and tourism management at North Carolina State University in Raleigh. "There's the fact that if you're outside, you're going to be more active. The more physically active you are, there's an incredibly strong correlation between that and improved health outcomes, like reduction in stress, improved mental health and those kinds of things. For younger children, in outdoor play environments, they can test out their limits, regulate their emotions, take risks and learn from those risks.""
Website here.
Nurtured by Nature - how time in nature can improve our mental health and sharpen our cognition.
Website here.
Nurtured by Nature - how time in nature can improve our mental health and sharpen our cognition.
What counts as "nature"? I played outside a lot as a kid, but it was clearly a built environment.
posted by airmail at 4:35 PM on May 29, 2021 [8 favorites]
posted by airmail at 4:35 PM on May 29, 2021 [8 favorites]
Questioning my choice not to have kids and be a stay-at-home parent, because that's the only path I can see to spending 1000 hours outside myself.
posted by HotToddy at 4:41 PM on May 29, 2021 [1 favorite]
posted by HotToddy at 4:41 PM on May 29, 2021 [1 favorite]
Bike to work/walk to work? Walking lunch, picnic dinner? Lots of options to add more outdoors time
posted by CostcoCultist at 4:51 PM on May 29, 2021
posted by CostcoCultist at 4:51 PM on May 29, 2021
What counts as "nature"? I played outside a lot as a kid, but it was clearly a built environment.It's way further down in the article, but a couple of experts basically say that you can use whatever you have access to. One of the interviewees initially did most of her outdoor time on the roof of her building. It sounds like the key here is outdoors, not necessarily nature, and built environments outdoors are fine.
But yeah, a thousand hours a year seems like a lot for a grownup. (I probably did that as a kid, because my mom was an old-school "go out and play and come back when the streetlights come on" parent.) But I'd probably aim for more like an hour a day.
Also, kudos to that article for not harping on "the obesity epidemic" and the like. It's really nice to see something about the health benefits of being active that isn't framed in that way.
posted by ArbitraryAndCapricious at 4:52 PM on May 29, 2021 [14 favorites]
(Posted from under a tree, watching my son bike on the driveway)
posted by CostcoCultist at 4:56 PM on May 29, 2021 [5 favorites]
posted by CostcoCultist at 4:56 PM on May 29, 2021 [5 favorites]
My parent's house had a big backyard. Mimosa tree. The fences were bushes. We dug a lot in the very back. Found huge chunks of mica, which we called gold. Sticks for weapons. We actually made bows and arrows. And they worked well enough to cause minor injuries. And dirt, so much dirt. When I had to come in for dinner my father would watch me wash my hands and face, to make sure. :)
Then there was playing football in Prospect Park. In the rain. And the mud. On the way home we would sometimes get into fights with bigger kids. But we were still wearing helmets and shoulder pads so we won.
We were winners until my mother saw me covered in mud. Then I went into the backyard and stripped to my underwear (which were also filthy) and got a long shower.
I miss those days.
Watching a praying mantis snatch a bumblebee out of the air so very quickly. Then eat it alive. The crunching was very loud. FYI, bumblebees are pink inside.
As are we all.
posted by Splunge at 5:02 PM on May 29, 2021 [15 favorites]
Then there was playing football in Prospect Park. In the rain. And the mud. On the way home we would sometimes get into fights with bigger kids. But we were still wearing helmets and shoulder pads so we won.
We were winners until my mother saw me covered in mud. Then I went into the backyard and stripped to my underwear (which were also filthy) and got a long shower.
I miss those days.
Watching a praying mantis snatch a bumblebee out of the air so very quickly. Then eat it alive. The crunching was very loud. FYI, bumblebees are pink inside.
As are we all.
posted by Splunge at 5:02 PM on May 29, 2021 [15 favorites]
Right. No one ever got melanoma staying indoors and away from the damn sun.
posted by GenjiandProust at 5:13 PM on May 29, 2021 [3 favorites]
posted by GenjiandProust at 5:13 PM on May 29, 2021 [3 favorites]
"There's the fact that if you're outside, you're going to be more active."
Love this man's optimism. Little does he know that my summer plans are always "read a lot of books, but outside of my apartment instead of inside." Hopefully there are still health benefits even if all my outdoors time is spent sitting on the steps of a mausoleum reading fantasy novels.
Really though, this initiative does sound great. Totally not for me, but I can see some people loving it and getting a lot out of it.
posted by brook horse at 5:15 PM on May 29, 2021 [6 favorites]
Love this man's optimism. Little does he know that my summer plans are always "read a lot of books, but outside of my apartment instead of inside." Hopefully there are still health benefits even if all my outdoors time is spent sitting on the steps of a mausoleum reading fantasy novels.
Really though, this initiative does sound great. Totally not for me, but I can see some people loving it and getting a lot out of it.
posted by brook horse at 5:15 PM on May 29, 2021 [6 favorites]
Right. No one ever got melanoma staying indoors and away from the damn sun.
posted by GenjiandProust
What?
posted by Splunge at 5:15 PM on May 29, 2021
posted by GenjiandProust
What?
posted by Splunge at 5:15 PM on May 29, 2021
> Go for a picnic! It’s the best!!!This message has been brought to you by ants. Hail ants.
posted by Nerd of the North at 5:25 PM on May 29, 2021 [31 favorites]
I lived in suburbia bordering wilderness, that was my playground. My single-dad insisted I take the dog with me, otherwise I was totally unsupervised. Dad was right by the way, Bandit started growling and pointing at something and it was one of the most deadly snakes in the world. Good boy! And so many fucking spiders (recent photo). Once there was a web that spanned our swimming hole, about 40ft from bank to bank. We couldn't figure it out, did they swim or fly? The answer is yes they did. This is Autralia after all.
In hindsight it's a miracle I survived. I went back there 30 years later, feeling nostalgic, and it's all gone. The creek, the swimming hole, just all of it is paved over, overtaken by suburbia. The creek is still kinda there, but now it's a concrete lined drainage ditch. It looked pretty toxic and gross. Oh well.
Very fond memories. Exploring the wild by day, Nintendo by night. Good times man.
posted by adept256 at 5:28 PM on May 29, 2021 [11 favorites]
In hindsight it's a miracle I survived. I went back there 30 years later, feeling nostalgic, and it's all gone. The creek, the swimming hole, just all of it is paved over, overtaken by suburbia. The creek is still kinda there, but now it's a concrete lined drainage ditch. It looked pretty toxic and gross. Oh well.
Very fond memories. Exploring the wild by day, Nintendo by night. Good times man.
posted by adept256 at 5:28 PM on May 29, 2021 [11 favorites]
MetaFilter: FYI, bumblebees are pink inside.
posted by Halloween Jack at 5:42 PM on May 29, 2021 [2 favorites]
posted by Halloween Jack at 5:42 PM on May 29, 2021 [2 favorites]
NOT THE BEES!!!!
posted by Windopaene at 5:49 PM on May 29, 2021 [2 favorites]
posted by Windopaene at 5:49 PM on May 29, 2021 [2 favorites]
This message has been brought to you by ants. Hail ants.
I for one
posted by ricochet biscuit at 6:31 PM on May 29, 2021 [7 favorites]
I for one
posted by ricochet biscuit at 6:31 PM on May 29, 2021 [7 favorites]
These comments are bringing back childhood memories. Oh man, when was the last time I went outside full of excitement at just being out there, running around like nuts under the warm sun, hollering for no reason, feeling like the world was born just for you?
posted by storybored at 6:35 PM on May 29, 2021 [9 favorites]
posted by storybored at 6:35 PM on May 29, 2021 [9 favorites]
I grew up on a farm, and the mental health benefits of picking peas, pulling wiregrass up by hand, and selling watermelons by the side of the road remain a little obscure to me. I'd buy that five hours a week doing more engaging things is pretty worthwhile, but my few preferred outdoor activities even then were to read outside in a lawn chair when the weather was nice or do some astronomy at night--nothing too active. Honestly, playgrounds, parks, and that kind of thing actually seem way better for moving around, because they're designed for it. Running around in the loose soil of a farm field seems like a great way to get a sprained ankle. I liked living on a farm, but it mainly taught me to enjoy being alone, not to enjoy being outdoors. Except for seeing so many stars--I do miss that.
posted by Wobbuffet at 6:54 PM on May 29, 2021 [9 favorites]
posted by Wobbuffet at 6:54 PM on May 29, 2021 [9 favorites]
My favorite outdoor activity is sitting around a campfire (ideally with a pot of food bubbling over it) with my friends, Adult Beverage in hand. Not that that has much to do with this topic; I've just really really missed it this past year.
posted by Greg_Ace at 7:13 PM on May 29, 2021 [5 favorites]
posted by Greg_Ace at 7:13 PM on May 29, 2021 [5 favorites]
3 to 4 hours a day outside? Sorry, don't most people who are lucky enough to be employed work 9 to 5? Not to be a killjoy, but this has kind of an Instagram Reality feel to it.
posted by Sing Or Swim at 7:20 PM on May 29, 2021 [17 favorites]
posted by Sing Or Swim at 7:20 PM on May 29, 2021 [17 favorites]
Hour before work, hour and a half after work, eat lunch outside?
posted by Merus at 7:36 PM on May 29, 2021 [2 favorites]
posted by Merus at 7:36 PM on May 29, 2021 [2 favorites]
Parent of a 5 year old here.
A little time outdoors every day? Sure.
3+ hours a day, year round? That sounds like it would be an extremely radical change in our lives (to say nothing of overcoming my kid's strong opposition to being outside when it's cold and rainy), and I'd like to hear a bit more about the daily routines of the families that accomplish this.
(I know I'm sounding argumentative/pushbacky, but honestly I just want to learn how it's done because yes I *would* like my kid to have lots of outdoor time. So. What do you do when the adults work standard hours and it's wintertime in Seattle?)
posted by splitpeasoup at 8:06 PM on May 29, 2021 [11 favorites]
A little time outdoors every day? Sure.
3+ hours a day, year round? That sounds like it would be an extremely radical change in our lives (to say nothing of overcoming my kid's strong opposition to being outside when it's cold and rainy), and I'd like to hear a bit more about the daily routines of the families that accomplish this.
(I know I'm sounding argumentative/pushbacky, but honestly I just want to learn how it's done because yes I *would* like my kid to have lots of outdoor time. So. What do you do when the adults work standard hours and it's wintertime in Seattle?)
posted by splitpeasoup at 8:06 PM on May 29, 2021 [11 favorites]
Back in the 60's us kids were always told to "go outside to play", which was nice, but unsupervised. Kids often had their broken arms in slings, from falling from the upper branches of the buckeye tree, and other such misadventures.
posted by StickyCarpet at 8:16 PM on May 29, 2021 [3 favorites]
posted by StickyCarpet at 8:16 PM on May 29, 2021 [3 favorites]
CPS would be the largest government agency if it was still acceptable to let your kids run around alone or leave them in cars.
posted by rhizome at 8:40 PM on May 29, 2021 [3 favorites]
posted by rhizome at 8:40 PM on May 29, 2021 [3 favorites]
This reminds me about this short documentary about Danish forest schools: The Danish School Where Children Play With Knives, where young children run around a forest, climbing trees, running through mud, and whittling with knives in sub-zero temperatures.
"Sometimes yes, they have a little accident," says the teacher. "But that's the way to learn. Only once do I have to drive to the hospital with a boy with a big injury. So I'm not worried."
posted by davidwitteveen at 1:57 AM on May 30, 2021 [7 favorites]
"Sometimes yes, they have a little accident," says the teacher. "But that's the way to learn. Only once do I have to drive to the hospital with a boy with a big injury. So I'm not worried."
posted by davidwitteveen at 1:57 AM on May 30, 2021 [7 favorites]
From TFA
For me, it's the way that being in nature forces me to be present with my thoughts and mindful in a way that I am not when I am indoors and close to a screen. Whether it's a TV, phone, or computer, there's something about rabbit holing into a show, game, or social media infinite scroll that I find to be ok in certain quantities but dulling if overdone. I also find reading outside to be just the right amount of stimulation. It's interesting yet not frenetic. During the winter months of pandemic, I often found myself reaching for Slow TV videos on YouTube or scenes on windowswap.com as a fallback for that outdoor nature fix.
I think any amount of outdoor time is useful. We all might struggle to hit 1000 but as the article mentioned, even hitting 250 (5 hrs / week) is still pretty good.
posted by bl1nk at 4:20 AM on May 30, 2021 [8 favorites]
While the benefits are many, there's no need to get hung up on the specificity of the 1,000-hour goal, warned Dr. Stacy Stryer.I run every other day, which gives me an hour of outdoor time with the warmup, running and cool down. In the summer, my wife and I will sit in our side porch and read or eat dinner instead of sitting inside. That's probably 2-3 hours every day in the summer. We go on a five hour walk every other weekend. We both have jobs. I don't think it quite adds up to 1000 hours in a year but it's interesting to use this challenge as a mental exercise on how to add more hours of outdoor time. I haven't camped at all last year during the pandemic but am greatly looking forward to backpacking next weekend now that I am fully vaccinated.
"I do think getting outside every day is amazing ... I don't like the idea of focusing on 2.7 hours a day, if you have to really push yourself," said Stryer, a physician associated with Park RX America, a nonprofit organization helping health care professionals "prescribe" time in nature to patients. "I feel like if you're pushing yourself, you're doing it for the wrong reasons. I love the idea of being outside every day ... I think that's a great goal to have, but I think it's unrealistic for a lot of people to spend 2.7 hours outside every day.
Stryer pointed to a recent study finding that positive associations with outdoor time peaked between 200-300 minutes per week, with no additional gains."
For me, it's the way that being in nature forces me to be present with my thoughts and mindful in a way that I am not when I am indoors and close to a screen. Whether it's a TV, phone, or computer, there's something about rabbit holing into a show, game, or social media infinite scroll that I find to be ok in certain quantities but dulling if overdone. I also find reading outside to be just the right amount of stimulation. It's interesting yet not frenetic. During the winter months of pandemic, I often found myself reaching for Slow TV videos on YouTube or scenes on windowswap.com as a fallback for that outdoor nature fix.
I think any amount of outdoor time is useful. We all might struggle to hit 1000 but as the article mentioned, even hitting 250 (5 hrs / week) is still pretty good.
posted by bl1nk at 4:20 AM on May 30, 2021 [8 favorites]
Also I think my peak outdoorsiness was before I took a fully remote job and got married to a non cyclist. Biking to work and to various social engagements or doing errands was a great way to clear my thoughts and is still a favorite method for warming up and cooling down from work (certainly better than public transit) and some of my warmest memories of living in a city are from biking home from a party on the other side of town or a river and riding through the warm peacefulness of a sleeping city.
posted by bl1nk at 4:29 AM on May 30, 2021 [3 favorites]
posted by bl1nk at 4:29 AM on May 30, 2021 [3 favorites]
Yes, here in Scandinavia, it is the cultural norm that children must be outside as much as possible. Beginning with having their daytime naps in the pram as infants. The way you judge wether a daycare, kindergarten or preschool is good is by how many outdoors hours they have. You demonstrate your status by what designer snowsuits your children wear.
The best birthday party I ever had for my youngest, whose birthday is in November, was a cookout on a playground where it is allowed to build a fire. We made a stew with pheasants, starting with the whole, feathered birds and lots of veg.
When the children begin real school, outdoors time is still highly prioritized, and many schools have a "school in the forest" program once a week, which can be done in city parks or on the beaches as well as in actual forests. My daughter's class had a vegetable garden near a public petting zoo. During corona, this has escalated, children have been roaming our local cemetery, looking for historical figures, interesting monuments, plants and animals depending on what the subject is. I think they are going to continue with that.
Parents like it when the children have gotten lots of exercise and sunlight during the day, so they are tired in a good way.
So most Danish kids under five probably reach 1000 hours + some. For adults, if you don't work with children, it's harder. There are only a few hours of daylight during November, December and January. I try to get out during my lunch-break every day, not least because I struggle with anxiety and stress, and just a half hour spent with trees helps me feel better. I like walking at night too, but I don't feel it gives the same sense of restoration.
I too am old enough to have spent the days after school just roaming the landscape with my brother, cousin and friends. When we moved into the city, we found the parks and the beaches. I wish my own children could have had a life like that, but it doesn't exist anymore, and there are no children out there to roam with.
posted by mumimor at 4:29 AM on May 30, 2021 [15 favorites]
The best birthday party I ever had for my youngest, whose birthday is in November, was a cookout on a playground where it is allowed to build a fire. We made a stew with pheasants, starting with the whole, feathered birds and lots of veg.
When the children begin real school, outdoors time is still highly prioritized, and many schools have a "school in the forest" program once a week, which can be done in city parks or on the beaches as well as in actual forests. My daughter's class had a vegetable garden near a public petting zoo. During corona, this has escalated, children have been roaming our local cemetery, looking for historical figures, interesting monuments, plants and animals depending on what the subject is. I think they are going to continue with that.
Parents like it when the children have gotten lots of exercise and sunlight during the day, so they are tired in a good way.
So most Danish kids under five probably reach 1000 hours + some. For adults, if you don't work with children, it's harder. There are only a few hours of daylight during November, December and January. I try to get out during my lunch-break every day, not least because I struggle with anxiety and stress, and just a half hour spent with trees helps me feel better. I like walking at night too, but I don't feel it gives the same sense of restoration.
I too am old enough to have spent the days after school just roaming the landscape with my brother, cousin and friends. When we moved into the city, we found the parks and the beaches. I wish my own children could have had a life like that, but it doesn't exist anymore, and there are no children out there to roam with.
posted by mumimor at 4:29 AM on May 30, 2021 [15 favorites]
some of my warmest memories of living in a city are from biking home from a party on the other side of town or a river and riding through the warm peacefulness of a sleeping city.
Oh yes! A lot of my good memories from teenage life seem to be about cycling through the city and the parks at night, often as the sun rose, and often with a group of friends. At that hour, it seemed like the city was ours, we rode in the middle of the street, everyone was friendly and there is a special morning smell in summer, as the flowers and trees wake up.
posted by mumimor at 4:37 AM on May 30, 2021 [3 favorites]
Oh yes! A lot of my good memories from teenage life seem to be about cycling through the city and the parks at night, often as the sun rose, and often with a group of friends. At that hour, it seemed like the city was ours, we rode in the middle of the street, everyone was friendly and there is a special morning smell in summer, as the flowers and trees wake up.
posted by mumimor at 4:37 AM on May 30, 2021 [3 favorites]
I’m thinking...in non-Covid times, my youngest walks to school each way, for a total of 40 minutes. (I work weird hours, so sometimes do one end of this although my MIL is the main walker.) Recess is, after shoes/coats, 10x2. At lunch he’s outdoors for 30 minutes. So that’s already 1.5 hours a school day, not counting outdoor gym etc. He was in an after school program that had an additional 30 min of park time (but he didn’t do the second walk home those days) although he’s aging out and it is hard to get him outdoors with my MIL supervising. Licensed daycares here are required to provide outdoor time.
That said, he’s on his bike some. He helps me garden. In the winter he helps shovel. Weekends we are outdoors a lot normally, family walks and bike rides. We started camping 2 years ago. We eat dinner outdoors by default in the summer. I am not sure we get to 1,000 hours but I think it’s close.
My teen less so but he does walk on either end of his transit, and at lunch. Weekends he’s often outdoors.
During Covid we make both my kids go out - getting my teen out is a struggle, or was until he found a beaver dam and now he goes to check the progress. It’s hard many weekdays! The wifi reaches the backyard which helps - when it’s the shady time I have the kids connect from the table out there now and then. Today we’re going to a sculpture garden. It’s been both easier and harder - easier to go out for 20 minutes. Harder to do anything long due to lack of public washrooms and Ontario lockdowns.
Winter is harder other than the walking, shovelling, and skating.
Over Covid my spouse and I started a morning swim for him at the lake (even in ice, Wim Hof thing) and I go with him, it’s a good walk so about an hour. It is really nice although starting at 6:15 is a drag (my kids can stay home with my asleep MIL, although we drag my 10 year old out.) I don’t know if this will last past our commutes.
What helps us is we live in a very green space heavy area, local schools, good transit, multi-generational family. Some of it is habit, especially our picnics.
posted by warriorqueen at 5:07 AM on May 30, 2021 [5 favorites]
That said, he’s on his bike some. He helps me garden. In the winter he helps shovel. Weekends we are outdoors a lot normally, family walks and bike rides. We started camping 2 years ago. We eat dinner outdoors by default in the summer. I am not sure we get to 1,000 hours but I think it’s close.
My teen less so but he does walk on either end of his transit, and at lunch. Weekends he’s often outdoors.
During Covid we make both my kids go out - getting my teen out is a struggle, or was until he found a beaver dam and now he goes to check the progress. It’s hard many weekdays! The wifi reaches the backyard which helps - when it’s the shady time I have the kids connect from the table out there now and then. Today we’re going to a sculpture garden. It’s been both easier and harder - easier to go out for 20 minutes. Harder to do anything long due to lack of public washrooms and Ontario lockdowns.
Winter is harder other than the walking, shovelling, and skating.
Over Covid my spouse and I started a morning swim for him at the lake (even in ice, Wim Hof thing) and I go with him, it’s a good walk so about an hour. It is really nice although starting at 6:15 is a drag (my kids can stay home with my asleep MIL, although we drag my 10 year old out.) I don’t know if this will last past our commutes.
What helps us is we live in a very green space heavy area, local schools, good transit, multi-generational family. Some of it is habit, especially our picnics.
posted by warriorqueen at 5:07 AM on May 30, 2021 [5 favorites]
Hour before work, hour and a half after work, eat lunch outside?
In Chicago winter? I'm no shrinking violet, but this would be darn difficult.
posted by tiny frying pan at 6:16 AM on May 30, 2021 [3 favorites]
In Chicago winter? I'm no shrinking violet, but this would be darn difficult.
posted by tiny frying pan at 6:16 AM on May 30, 2021 [3 favorites]
Harder to do anything long due to lack of public washrooms and Ontario lockdowns.
This is a big part of the barrier for me and many women I know - the bathroom leash is real and has shortened considerably since Covid began. I absolutely acknowledge the huge improvements in my life when I'm outside a lot, but if it's an activity farther away than my yard it's under a pretty strict time limit.
posted by DSime at 6:38 AM on May 30, 2021 [8 favorites]
This is a big part of the barrier for me and many women I know - the bathroom leash is real and has shortened considerably since Covid began. I absolutely acknowledge the huge improvements in my life when I'm outside a lot, but if it's an activity farther away than my yard it's under a pretty strict time limit.
posted by DSime at 6:38 AM on May 30, 2021 [8 favorites]
I have young relatives that attend a forest school in Tennessee. They seem to love it.
Now that I exclusively work from home, my rule that I take the baby out for his airing every morning means I have to get dressed every morning, which I think a also good for my mental health.
posted by acantha at 6:39 AM on May 30, 2021 [3 favorites]
Now that I exclusively work from home, my rule that I take the baby out for his airing every morning means I have to get dressed every morning, which I think a also good for my mental health.
posted by acantha at 6:39 AM on May 30, 2021 [3 favorites]
I don't spend 1,000 hours a year outside. I am trying to spend more time outside, while keeping up with everything else in my life because it does help my mood. It's nice to see additional evidence that this is good for me, even if I won't hit the specific goal of 1,000 hours. I'm not sure why this is so controversial. Am I supposed to feel offense or shame about the amount of time I spend outside?
posted by chernoffhoeffding at 6:42 AM on May 30, 2021
posted by chernoffhoeffding at 6:42 AM on May 30, 2021
It's just that the outdoors wants to kill me, what with my severe allergies to pollen and some insects, and the sun with its desire to give me cancer (being super pale is not conducive to being outdoors in the midwest in the summer). Plus I get heatstroke more readily than most other humans. I like looking out the windows, though.
So while this is, in general, great advice, it definitely doesn't work for everyone.
posted by cooker girl at 7:07 AM on May 30, 2021 [2 favorites]
So while this is, in general, great advice, it definitely doesn't work for everyone.
posted by cooker girl at 7:07 AM on May 30, 2021 [2 favorites]
Outdoors has always been a sanctuary for me, sometimes in a literal religious sense, often as a refuge from family anger and strife; as well as a place of infinite interest and curiosity and joy.
My teenage step-being is always reminding me of why outside Does Not Work For Her. As a middle aged lady, I should let it roll off my back, but it does feel a little hurtful, like back when the cool kids made fun of my music.
posted by acantha at 7:43 AM on May 30, 2021 [2 favorites]
My teenage step-being is always reminding me of why outside Does Not Work For Her. As a middle aged lady, I should let it roll off my back, but it does feel a little hurtful, like back when the cool kids made fun of my music.
posted by acantha at 7:43 AM on May 30, 2021 [2 favorites]
I grew up running around outside a lot as a kid but became a homebody (library body, office body) as an adult. Today was a warm day and I spent about an hour of it in my urban hammock reading and rocking a bit between the trees. That is a privilege. In the winter half year, there is no way in hell I am spending 2.7 hours outside. It is dark. It is sometimes really cold. It is often windy. Even though I know spending time outdoors is good for my mental health, I just won't do it for long during that kind of weather. I do what I can, when I can. I stagger from day to day in my own half-assed, very much not optimized way. I was outside several hours yesterday. Good for me but also, it may not happen again for awhile. As we say in Al-Anon, take what you like and leave the rest.
posted by Bella Donna at 9:17 AM on May 30, 2021
posted by Bella Donna at 9:17 AM on May 30, 2021
3+ hours a day, year round? That sounds like it would be an extremely radical change in our lives (to say nothing of overcoming my kid's strong opposition to being outside when it's cold and rainy), and I'd like to hear a bit more about the daily routines of the families that accomplish this.
This time of year, time spent outside adds up without much thinking on our part.
40 minutes to and from school (20 each way) and 35 minutes of gym is basically 2 hours right there.
Add in the random 5 minutes of going between classes for easily 2 hours.
On days there is Nature Studies, that's another 30 minutes.
Add on 90 minutes of baseball practice, and that's easily 3 hours without counting any time at home.
Winter is a little more difficult since gym moves inside most days and there isn't baseball.
Still, at home there is hanging out in the backyard after school, riding to friends houses, etc. which adds a bit of time here and there.
Nature Studies happens year round, so that's a reliable 30 minutes and during the regular school year there is a weekly after-school program in the woods for another 90 minutes.
In the fall/winter, there is cross country, which is basically a couple of hours of running around in circles outside.
On the weekends, snow sports are a thing for 6 hours or more of outdoor time.
But it is definitely more scattered about in the winter because, as you say, cold and rainy isn't fun.
Honestly the biggest obstacle we face is finding companions with which to play outside.
As we enter the teenage years, the appeal of playgrounds and just running about lose their appeal for a lot of kids, who have migrated towards organized sports (often inside) or are burdened down with the demands of school.
posted by madajb at 1:22 PM on May 30, 2021 [1 favorite]
This time of year, time spent outside adds up without much thinking on our part.
40 minutes to and from school (20 each way) and 35 minutes of gym is basically 2 hours right there.
Add in the random 5 minutes of going between classes for easily 2 hours.
On days there is Nature Studies, that's another 30 minutes.
Add on 90 minutes of baseball practice, and that's easily 3 hours without counting any time at home.
Winter is a little more difficult since gym moves inside most days and there isn't baseball.
Still, at home there is hanging out in the backyard after school, riding to friends houses, etc. which adds a bit of time here and there.
Nature Studies happens year round, so that's a reliable 30 minutes and during the regular school year there is a weekly after-school program in the woods for another 90 minutes.
In the fall/winter, there is cross country, which is basically a couple of hours of running around in circles outside.
On the weekends, snow sports are a thing for 6 hours or more of outdoor time.
But it is definitely more scattered about in the winter because, as you say, cold and rainy isn't fun.
Honestly the biggest obstacle we face is finding companions with which to play outside.
As we enter the teenage years, the appeal of playgrounds and just running about lose their appeal for a lot of kids, who have migrated towards organized sports (often inside) or are burdened down with the demands of school.
posted by madajb at 1:22 PM on May 30, 2021 [1 favorite]
. The way you judge wether a daycare, kindergarten or preschool is good is by how many outdoors hours they have.
We used preschool for socialization rather than daycare, which gave us a lot of freedom in finding one that fit for us since it didn't need to be near work and could be more expensive since we weren't paying for 8+ hours a day.
The one that sold me (after touring a few) had the pitch of "The children spend at least 50% of the day outside. Here is our giant coatroom for storing raincoats, boots, mittens, etc".
You demonstrate your status by what designer snowsuits your children wear.
We had a Polarn O. Pyret rainsuit that I picked up overseas when a raincoat was left behind on a bus.
It was the hit of the playground for several years, especially the waterproof mittens which are sheer genius.
posted by madajb at 1:34 PM on May 30, 2021 [4 favorites]
We used preschool for socialization rather than daycare, which gave us a lot of freedom in finding one that fit for us since it didn't need to be near work and could be more expensive since we weren't paying for 8+ hours a day.
The one that sold me (after touring a few) had the pitch of "The children spend at least 50% of the day outside. Here is our giant coatroom for storing raincoats, boots, mittens, etc".
You demonstrate your status by what designer snowsuits your children wear.
We had a Polarn O. Pyret rainsuit that I picked up overseas when a raincoat was left behind on a bus.
It was the hit of the playground for several years, especially the waterproof mittens which are sheer genius.
posted by madajb at 1:34 PM on May 30, 2021 [4 favorites]
On behalf of all sweaty people, biking or even walking in warm weather to work is hard without a shower or bringing/having a toiletry kit at your desk and having the luxury to show up looking bedraggled and have time to wipe down, change, reapply deodorant, etc.
posted by nakedmolerats at 1:35 PM on May 30, 2021 [5 favorites]
posted by nakedmolerats at 1:35 PM on May 30, 2021 [5 favorites]
I know a family that is doing the 1000 hours outdoors challenge. A mom with 2 kids who are, I think 6 and 3. They ride their bikes and a lot. Play in playgrounds. They went ice skating in the winter and will surely go swimming in the summer. And remember, if it's the kids that are supposed to be outside (not the parents), then for little kids, daycare time outside presumably counts. Pre-pandemic my son spent about 2.5 hours a day playing outside at daycare.
I don't think my son and i have any hope of hitting 1000 hours for the end of the year, but I'm definitely getting him out 2-3 hours a day now that the weather is good. He needs to play outside 12-15 hours a week for his eyesight. We've been going for walks in the woods and out to feed ducks and I definitely notice how good it is for him. Once we go back to normal life? Well figure 40 -50 minutes a day walking to/from daycare (and school in September). I assume at least an hour outdoors per day at school once he starts school, more than that on some gym days. I feel like 2 hours a day outdoors is pretty easy to get and 3 will "just happen" a significant portion of the time, especially on weekends. Maybe I am undue-ly optimistic about what the world will look like when the pandemic is over, but I feel like 800 hours a year, let's say, is do-able. (Note: I am prepared for the possibility that I will be laughing at myself for ever having thought this, at some point in the future. I am not-even-close-to-certain that I am right about this. This is just the sense I have right now).
posted by If only I had a penguin... at 8:17 PM on May 30, 2021 [1 favorite]
I don't think my son and i have any hope of hitting 1000 hours for the end of the year, but I'm definitely getting him out 2-3 hours a day now that the weather is good. He needs to play outside 12-15 hours a week for his eyesight. We've been going for walks in the woods and out to feed ducks and I definitely notice how good it is for him. Once we go back to normal life? Well figure 40 -50 minutes a day walking to/from daycare (and school in September). I assume at least an hour outdoors per day at school once he starts school, more than that on some gym days. I feel like 2 hours a day outdoors is pretty easy to get and 3 will "just happen" a significant portion of the time, especially on weekends. Maybe I am undue-ly optimistic about what the world will look like when the pandemic is over, but I feel like 800 hours a year, let's say, is do-able. (Note: I am prepared for the possibility that I will be laughing at myself for ever having thought this, at some point in the future. I am not-even-close-to-certain that I am right about this. This is just the sense I have right now).
posted by If only I had a penguin... at 8:17 PM on May 30, 2021 [1 favorite]
I do 1000+ hours outdoors per year. I don't think it has improved my mood that much, since I know there are times in my life when I have spent much less. And lots of time, the outdoors is not that great - walking to the car, eating food certain times of the year (so many bugs), mowing the lawn is getting closer to neutral. The horrible sun too, and humidity. Not all outdoor time is positive, just like not all indoor time is negative.
posted by The_Vegetables at 8:44 AM on June 1, 2021 [2 favorites]
posted by The_Vegetables at 8:44 AM on June 1, 2021 [2 favorites]
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