June 7th

By Mutt Mulligan

Get a dose of Vitamin N in the family yard

Since summer is here, families have an opportunity to get outside together more often, and TurfMutt wants to encourage you to take advantage of the nature that starts in your own backyard. Childhood days spent outdoors exploring neighborhood parks, playing in friends’ backyards, and climbing trees have been replaced with TV, video games, and tablets. In fact, the average child in America spends five to eight hours each day in front of a digital screen!

According to the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Centers for Diseases Control, an hour of free play is critical for our kids’ health. Here are just a few reasons why getting a dose of Vitamin N everyday is good for kids.

• Primary schoolchildren who have been raised in homes surrounded by more green space tend to have larger volumes of white and grey matter in areas of the brain associated with improved cognitive function.
• Exposure to natural settings may be widely effective in reducing ADHD symptoms.
• Children’s stress levels fall within minutes of seeing green spaces
• Children gain attention and working memory benefits when they are exposed to greenery.
• A systematic review of research indicates children who are exposed to gardening eat more fruits and vegetables.

The National Wildlife Federation has also launched the Green Hour Program to encourage parents to adopt a goal of one hour of playtime in nature. Remember, nature starts in your own yard, so it doesn’t have to be complicated to meet that goal. A picnic in the lawn, planting flowers, picking veggies or weeding the garden are simple ways to connect with the outdoors. (Don’t forget to include Fido as much as possible! Dogs need outside time, too!)

How are you spending time in nature with your kids this summer? Share your ideas and pictures on TurfMutt’s Facebook or Twitter page using the hashtags #LivingLandscapes and #BackyardReady.

Learn more about the benefits of living landscapes for people, pets and the planet.