Outdoor activities for school children can lead to improved conduct

By Staff Writer

The Internet, television and video games give children plenty of reasons to stay indoors, but they could affect their behavior in school, a recent report says.

The National Wildlife Federation (NWF) found that American children spend an average of 53 hours indoors each week, using stationary forms of entertainment that inhibit outdoor activity. The NWF suggests more time spent outdoors can improve kids' behavior and academic performance when they are in the classroom.

A middle school in Utah is trying to get children more active in nature by creating outdoor classrooms, according to the Salt Lake Deseret News. The middle school integrates educational activities by allowing children to work on a garden, which serves as an outdoor science lab.

"It really promotes the kinds of hands-on, touchy-feely learning opportunities children crave," the middle school's director of sustainability told the news provider.

Furthermore, outdoor activities can also benefit kids with emotional or behavioral disorders. The Outdoor Behavioral Healthcare Industry Council recently studied the effects of wilderness therapy and revealed that parents of troubled teenagers reported success. Approximately 80 percent of parents surveyed said that the wilderness therapy was effective within two years of the treatment.