Wellbeing

We hope you enjoy the following article by Katherine Healy from Nature Play WA 

For Families, For Teachers • By Katherine Healy

The Green Time vs Screen Time tool for families is a fun way to help you keep track of how much time your children are spending playing outdoors (‘green time’), versus time spent indoors, watching TV or on a device (‘screen time’).

Getting the balance right between green time and screen time is important for your kids’ health, cognitive and emotional development and will help them grow into the capable and resilient people you want them to be.

Plus green time is free, on your doorstep and the most fun kids can have! So let’s make sure our kids get outside and learn to enjoy the unstructured outdoor games we used to play!

DOWNLOAD GREEN TIME VS SCREEN TIME RESOURCE

Where can you go in Bendigo?

Eaglehawk Play Space

Lake Weeroona

Eaglehawk & White Hills Botanical Gardens

Heathcote Play Space

Strathdale Park Play Space

Garden of the Future

Cooinda Park

Wolstencroft Play Space

Oak Forest Harcourt

Castlemaine Botanic Gardens

Bike tracks throughout Bendigo

Your backyard

Why is ‘green time’ so important

The best reason why children should make the move from the TV or computer room to the outdoors is that it’s fun and you and your kids will be happier and healthier doing things together.

There is also a growing body of research showing that by bringing unstructured outdoor play (nature play) back into our children’s lives we can help their cognitive, emotional and physical development and ensure they build resilience and imagination that are so important for a fulfilling life.

How much ‘screen time’ is too much?

The National Physical Activity Guidelines recommend that for good health and development:

•Children younger than 2 years of age should not spend any time watching television or using other electronic media (DVDs, computer and other electronic games) 

and for children 2 to 5 years of age these activities should be limited to less than one hour per day.

•Children 5 – 12  years of age shouldn’t spend more than two hours a day using electronic media for entertainment (eg computer games, TV, internet), particularly during daylight hours.