Kids Need Outdoor Play

An interesting study of almost 900 toddlers found that children who had higher screen time at age 2 had poorer communication and lessened daily living skills. The good news is that more outdoor play at essentially the same age were associated with better daily living skills and better socialization. There doesn’t seem to have been the same correlation with communication skills.

The connection between screen time and poorer communication skills fits with anecdotal evidence that most of us have. The encouraging news is that we may be able to recover from some of those disadvantages if we send kids outside to play. This study is yet more research supporting the benefits of getting our kids outside and away from screens.