Children today spend only four to seven minutes on unstructured play outdoors while spending over seven hours daily looking at a screen. There has been a huge decline, therefore, in the popularity of spontaneous activities like swimming, hiking, and climbing trees — all of which have an array of benefits for children. Being active helps children and adults hone their flexibility and strength, reduces stress hormone levels, and plays a big role in battling obesity. Your yard is an ideal place in which children and adults can bond, play their favorite games, and indulge their sense of adventure. If you need inspiration on how to make the transformation, read on.
A Living Feast
Your garden can be the first place children turn to for snacks, provided you plant edible trees like apricot, plum, pineapple guava, pawpaw, and many other beautiful trees. Some trees, like chocolate vine, do not bear delicious fruit but to produce beautifully scented flowers in the springtime. If your yard is small, consider planting a container garden or a vertical garden, which is ideal for herbs, beans, carrots, mini cucumbers, mini eggplants, garlic, cascading tomatoes, and more.
Trees that Ignite the Spark of Adventure
To encourage your children to spend lots of time outside, you should also plant a tree they can climb. A study published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (Brussoni, 2012) found that outdoor risky play (such as climbing trees, exploring surroundings independently, and taking part in a little ‘rough play’) benefits children’s physical and mental health. Hardwood trees (think oak, sycamore, or pines) are a good choice because they are strong and have wide branches. The Tree Climbers International Association recommends that branches should be at least six inches in diameter to safely hold a person’s weight. Teach children effective tree climbing techniques such as walking on trunks to hone balance, using low branches to pull themselves up to higher ones, and tree-hugging to slowly inch their way up the tree.
Spaces for Play and Relaxation
Within your garden, you can create dedicated spaces for kids and adults to enjoy. For a nice outdoor dining or relaxation spot, for instance, you can deck or pave the area between the backdoor and your garden, installing terrace coverings with remote-control adjustable and rotating blades so you can determine how much light hits the terrace. Place a beautiful wooden dining table in this spot, as well as comfy chairs, colorful cushions, a sun lounger or two, beanbags for kids, and even (space permitting) a small desk for outdoor work. For kids, try and find a free space in the garden for a treehouse or play structure. Utilize stones, a pond, or even a vertical green wall to separate spaces from each other so children can really feel like the space is ‘theirs’.
Children are spending far less time outdoors than they need to build physical skills, stay active, and relieve themselves of stress. Families with a backyard can make the most of it by planting edible trees and those that can provide many hours of climbing fun. Parents can ensure their own time outdoors is made more pleasant through the creation of relaxation spots that enable them to keep an eye on their kids while also allowing them to explore, create, and engage in a little rough-and-tumble play. Remember, you can always trust Hendersonville certified tree experts.