It’s not surprising data, but research has found that South Australians aren’t active enough. So, as a fun way to encourage kids to play outside, Nature Play SA has announced a new resource titled 56 things to do outdoors before you turn 14.
The list covers everything from climbing trees to birdwatching and is created to include all abilities and personal interests.
Compiled by primary school students, primarily from Alberton Primary School and Upper Sturt Primary, the online resource is sure to get your kids excited to play outside.
The ideas are categorised into three central themes: playing sport, being active in nature, and doing things that help personal wellbeing.
We have shortlisted our favourite ideas from each category of the list if you’re keen to get your child outdoors and having fun.
In the sporting skills section:
- ultimate frisbee takes out our top spot: this sport is mostly known as a self-referred sport and involves mix gendered teams.
- table tennis comes in second; this indoor game is based on tennis but played with small bats and a ball which is bounced on a table divided by a net.
- goalball comes in close behind as it offers a great option for athletes with vision impairment. The object of the game is to roll the ball into the opponent’s goals while opposing players try to block the ball with their bodies. Bells inside the ball help orientate players by indicating the direction of the incoming ball.
If your child is outdoorsy but not necessarily sporty you could suggest they:
- build a cubby and spend an afternoon designing with their friends,
- skim rocks and see how far they can throw, or,
- try a water activity such as snorkelling or body surfing.
Finally, if you child could do with some outdoor time for their mind, they could:
- stargaze and find constellations in the stars,
- fly a kite at the local park or as a part of a kite festival, or,
- birdwatch and learn how to identify a particular species through their song.
Katrine Hildyard MP, Minister for Recreation Sport and Racing, officially launched the resource on November 28.
“It is so very important that we encourage young people to be active in our beautiful natural environment,” Minister Hildyard said.
The National Physical Activity Guidelines recommend that Australians should be getting 60 minutes of physical activity every day. In South Australia, only 26 per cent of children aged 0 – 12 years old are meeting the recommendation.
As we know, physical activity has a direct correlation to our overall health, wellbeing, and social outcomes. As an Active Lives survey found, people who were more active reported better mental health, stronger social connections, better overall health, and greater self-efficacy.
To check out the full list, you can head here.
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