A Green Hour Every Day For Our Kids The importance of play for kindergarten children is not a new concept.  We often read and hear about how our children are nature deficient.  An article on this issue caught my attention last week in the New York Time Magazine section.  One of many comments in a letter to the editor this weekend enlightens readers about a program the National Wildlife Federation has started: “Peggy Orenstein suggests teachers allow kids in kindergarten to toss out their pencils and simply play, but Orenstein should have added the word “outside.” Sixty percent of kids ages 2 to 5 do not have daily access to outdoor play. What’s equally damaging is that those kids who do play outside are now so restricted by all sorts of rules, such as permits required for even a pickup baseball game, that they really can’t go far or do much. In 1970 the average 10-year-old wandered 10 times as far on his or her own as a 10-year-old today, which, of course, encourages self-reliance, independent thinking, engagement with nature, unsupervised socialization and more. The National Wildlife Federation has started a program called Green Hour, which presses for free play outside one hour each day while children are at school. So toss out the pencils and send the kids outside.” What a perfect Earth Promise: provide your children (and yourself, too) with a Green Hour each day.  Unfortunately, with the pressure of test scores, many schools are unable to afford a whole hour of outdoor, unstructured play.  How sad.  No doubt, parents need to make an effort to voice their opinions about this lack of outdoor, unstructured play, but in the meantime, it is our responsibility as parents/guardians to give the gift of the great outdoors to our children.  My husband and I often talk about how disturbing it is that we are uncomfortable allowing our 10 year old to roam free on her bike exploring.  Those solo journeys were empowering.  They left me with great memories and a sense of self responsibility. We want and need to give our daughters this Green Hour of creativity and growth. The Green Hour website offers inspirational ideas to get your kids moving outdoors.   There is a Community Corner that provides families with the opportunity to share their backyard experiences.  Green Hour’s theory is straightforward— provide an hour of daily, unstructured playtime outdoors. Studies have shown that children play outdoors are healthier, have lower stress levels, and have better respect for themselves and the environment. Tags: carbon footprint, change, changes, children, climate change, conservation, earth, earth day, earth promise, earthpromise, eco-friendly, education, energy, energy efficient, environment, environmental, environmental issues, environmental movement, global warming, green, green changes, green effect, green hour, green impact, green living, green practice, green practices, green revolution, green tips, National Wildlife Federation, new york times, outdoors

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