​If children seem "addicted" to their gadgets, could it be we didn't give them enough choice?​ We can affect change with one simple solution: offer better options.

Here are five tips for increasing nature time when you'd really rather be snuggled up in front of a fireplace.

Many kids are too busy to have time to play creatively or relax after school.

I love that when we go outside we can take a break from the consumerism and choose the joy of a more simplistic route.

If children can consume media through screens 1200 hours a year on average than the time is there and at least some of it can and should be shifted towards a more productive and healthy outcome. ​

Time outside is a simple way for parents to have a moment (often many moments) of reprieve from the constant needs of family life. In the great outdoors, mom and dad can easily strengthen their bond, without having to pay for a sitter or an expensive night out.

Whatever your family situation is, nature provides a solution for fostering connection. 

So while we are portioning a certain amount of childhood time to seat work let's keep in mind that childhood is also a time where we are training the bodies of young children either to be active or inactive. 

This simplest of all remedies to intentionally foster inter-family connection is to spend some time in nature

Grade school girls need to take 12,000 steps each day and grade school boys need to take 15,000 steps each day just simply to maintain a healthy Body Mass Index (BMI).  ​This is equivalent to MILES of movement. ​

​After work. After school. After dinner. It is a short period. But it's a short period you get most days of the week. Instead of "binge-watching" how about trying "binge-hiking"? Or "binge-wrestling-in-the-grass"? This is such a superior choice to cartoons.

When my kids are grandparents I want them to have good stories - rich stories of full childhoods.  I want them to talk about the forts they built and the frogs they caught.  I want them to talk about the waves they jumped and the trees they climbed.  I want them to remember the campfire songs and the seemingly endless moments swinging through the breeze in the backyard.

So, grab a friend and head outside.  Your body and your children's bodies will thank you!

So how as parents can we give our children a leg up when it comes emotional intelligence? Giving them uninterrupted time to play outside with friends will give them a significant social advantage.

What's a family to do during the dreary days of winter?  Staying inside for four to five months is not a viable option.  Children have to get outside and so do families.

It’s important as parents and caregivers to know that movement, and especially movement in free play, is a major contributor to brain growth. In fact, movement it is the pre-cursor to all learning.

Of all the options out there free play and providing time "just to be a kid" often gets lost in the mix. But the research is out and it points to the overwhelming importance of play.

When it comes to saving money during the child rearing years, one strategy is just not to spend it in the first place. As the old adage goes, a penny saved is a penny earned.

Here are five ways we have saved money just by spending more time outside:

Something we quickly noticed when we began to spend more time outside was that our inside time became smoother, calmer, and more enjoyable.  Outdoor play definitely enhances indoor play. 

When we go outside, we often stay outside for many hours. This is in stark contrast to how I used to plan our activities and to a degree I think it is also different from how many other American families plan their days.