By the numbers
• One in five U.S. children lives within walking distance of a park or playground.
• Children between the ages of 8 and 18 average more than 7.5 hours per day playing on entertainment media.
• Since the late 1970s, kids have lost 12 hours of free time per week and experienced a 25% decrease in play and a 50% decrease in unstructured outdoor activities.
Tips for parents
• Kids need at least one hour of free, unstructured, child-led playtime outside every day. Adult-supervised sports don’t count.
• Take the kids to the park or playground. Invite other neighborhood children to join in.
• Turn off electronic media, and tell your kids to go play. They’ll have to find ways to entertain themselves — otherwise known as play.
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