Remember playing outside when you were a child, venturing into nearby forests or field to look for a grasshopper, build a dam, have a snowball fight or try to catch a fish. Or maybe just to explore.
When was the last time your child did those kinds of things?
For most children, life is different these days. Parents seem more afraid of letting their children out of sight, except for things like sports, structured, supervised events. Children seem to have more demands placed on their time, and when they do have time they often prefer to “play” in front of a TV or computer screen.
I’ve been reading quite a few articles from professionals lately. They all point out all the benefits children get from playing outside on their own, letting their imaginations run wild, challenging their bodies in new ways, developing social skills are impossible to learn indoors in front of a TV. Children have always needed that as part of growing up, and now they are not getting it enough.
Remember that sense of awe and wonder you felt as a child in the woods, up close and personal with nature? There is no substitute for touching a pine cone, watching what ants do, listening to the cascade of a river or smelling a forest after it has rained. There is no substitute for assessing the risks of climbing a tree or crossing a creek and maybe skinning a knee and getting dirty.
Children need these things. Isn’t it time for some outdoor fun?
So if you have time, do let them explore the forest or field, take them to a nearby park or beach.
Let your children play and have fun, it’s what they do best.
All we need is fun
Clothes: Everything is from the ZARA KIDS AW17 collection except for the hat ‘All we need is fun’ that is available at H&M and the white jeans is from River Island.
Photography: Aleksandra Loginova
Models:Liza, Sofia and Varya
Location: Estonia
