It’s time we BIG kids get our due. As a follow-up to 7 Signs Your Kid Needs to Play Outdoors, I offer the grown-up edition. Come on, admit it. You don’t unplug enough. You probably work too much, and odds are, your canned air to fresh air ratio is dangerously skewed. Your personal batteries need recharged and your plug-in drug of choice needs a rest. Deep breath. It is going to be OK.

How many of these signs apply to you?

1. You can name six different social media sites you belong to, but can’t remember the last time you went on a picnic or to your favorite fishing hole;
2. Your spouse/significant other calls your PDA your girlfriend/boyfriend in a not-so-joking tone of voice;
3. Your rump is starting to fuse to your desk chair;
4. The only fresh air you get is on the walk from your car to/from the office;
5. You don’t notice that your kids don’t go outside and play because it has stopped occurring to you that time spent outdoors is an option;
6. The only critters you see are on the nature shows you watch with your kids; and
7. An increasing percentage of your conversations start with @________.

It’s never too late to make the effort to unplug and get outside and play more. Take a break. Go barefoot and walk through the grass. Plant a garden. Hang a hammock. Do anything that takes you outside of the virtual world and connects you to the natural world. Even a few minutes a day can help you relax and recharge.

Play is important across the lifespan — from cradle to grave. Try and make time for it each day. I have no doubt you will notice the physical, emotional, and mental benefits it brings to your life.

If you care to join me, we can get a good game of frisbee going, or walk along the river and see how many bird species we can spot. We’ll have a blast, and I promise work will be waiting for you upon your return. You just might find you have a bit more energy to get through it.

See ya outside! – The Grass Stain Guru

photo credit: lepiaf.geo

Across the globe there is a new breed of kid on the block — the illusive Indoor Child. Below are the tell-tale signs to look for. You might also recognize them roaming the streets, connected at all times to headphones or hand-held devices.

TGSG’s 7 Signs Your Kid Needs to Play Outdoors:

1. Their only concept of Seasons comes from The Weather Channel;
2. You refer to their bedroom as their habitat, and sightings of them beyond those walls are rare;
3. They think catching a frog has to do with a video game;
4. A perfectly-formed imprint of your child’s body has appeared in your sofa cushions;
5. Their thumbs are in a permanently hooked shape for optimal texting position;
6. They can name all 493 Pokemon cards but only two backyard bird species; and
7. When you say, “Go play outside!”, they run for the The Windows “grassy knoll” desktop background!

Now, as beloved TGSG readers, I know the children in your world do not suffer from the above condition. But rest assured, this breed of Indoor Child is out there in droves, and they need our help. What can you do to help? Join the charge to get kids out the door and into nature! And while your at it, save yourselves!

See ya outside! – The Grass Stain Guru

photo credit: LAYeiser