A Day in the Life of 1000 Hours Outside
In the last few decades childhood has largely moved indoors. Just a generation or two ago no one was talking about how to get kids outside because most kids were naturally doing it. There was no need for any research about how time outside is so beneficial for children because kids were "playing outside until the street lights came on".
This post isn't about why things have changed, though it is clear that they have. Children need hours of free play and movement a day (ideally outside) and the majority are only getting 4-7 minutes. This post is about the practicalities of how to get your kids outside more often.
To many (including myself at the beginning), 1000 Hours Outside in a years time seems outlandish and completely unattainable. I've even had a few people laugh when they've heard the number. The majority of American children are spending around 1,200 hours a year consuming screen media so we know that, to a degree, the time is there. While we are totally supportive of whatever your outside goals are we do want to encourage you that a goal of 1,000 hours is an attainable goal for many. 1000 Hours Outside within a calendar year will absolutely change the entire landscape of childhood.
Here's the low down of how we schedule in our outside time.
1.) We look at the year as a whole. Certain seasons are more conducive to long periods of time outside. Our goal breaks down to about 18 - 20 hours a week. When it's frigid cold (just a few months of the year) we tend to get about half of that and during the rest of the year we tend to get more.
2.) We aim for three to four longer days of nature time a week. I look ahead at the weather and try and find some days that will work both with our schedule and with the weather. We are purposefully under scheduled because there isn't another activity that offers as much for a child than playing in nature. When it's cold out we might look for two to three afternoons during the school week where we could get outside and explore and then have some family time outside on the weekend.
When it's nicer out it's obviously a lot easier to fit in the hours. We still stick with the same schedule of three to four days out of the house and then we intersperse extra time in our yard and neighborhood. Scheduling our outside time this way still leaves several days for errands and general housework. Additionally, there is much of the day still left even when we've been outside for four to six hours. If we head outside from 9-1 on a summer day for instance, there are still hours left for laundry, meal planning, doctors appointments, etc.
We are a homeschooling family so it can be easier to find the time to get outside during the day. Any family could adapt our schedule and utilize a few evenings a week as well as some immersive nature time on the weekends. "Playing until the street lights" come on a few evenings a week would add up quickly.
3.) We don't got outside every day. When the weather is nice there are occasional weeks where we are outside every day, but during most weeks we have a few inside days. A summer thunderstorm or a winter ice storm are actually a nice reprieve and we all enjoy our days inside. I have learned over the years that our time outside has really helped with our inside play.
I would say there are three main keys to getting in more nature time as a family. The first is you have to prioritize it. Nature doesn't advertise itself so parents need to be aware of the extensive research surrounding outside play for kids. Blogs, facebook pages, and groups like ours are helpful for motivation and information. There are many books and research articles as well.
After you are convinced that children need to be outside you need to make sure you aren't overscheduled. There is a lot of parental pressure to enroll our children in all sorts of classes. While extracurriculars are beneficial, too many will deprive our kids of the downtime they need and we won't have the space in our lives to get into nature.
Finally, being intentional will help get you outside more. That's why a goal is so beneficial. Having an outside time goal keeps me motivated and accountable. Getting outside with kids can involve a lot of work at times but I still need to do it. Having a yearly goal ensures I will be intentional and not miss the important piece of life my children need for their development.
