In todays daily life we find that our kids tend to spend more time indoors, playing on their iPads and computer games rather than running around outside, or on their bikes. I know you’re going to say that the weather in Kuwait does not help, but the nights are a bit cooler and we do have wonderful weather from October to April. The benefits of outdoor play are numerous both on the physical and mental level. The outdoors is the very best place for kids to practice and master emerging physical skills. It is in the outdoors that children can fully and freely experience motor skills like running, leaping, and jumping. It is also the most appropriate area for the practice of ball-handling skills, like throwing, catching, and striking. Children also work on their social skills while playing outdoor such as meeting new friends at the park, joining in on games, learning how to take turns on the slides and swings. Additionally, it is in the outdoors that children are likely to burn the most calories, which helps prevent obesity, a heart disease risk factor that has doubled in the past decade. Studies have shown that Kuwait ranks the 2^nd in obesity after the United States. That is a huge number and so it is our job as parents and caregivers to make sure that our children stay healthy and fit.

Take away the electronics and have them enjoy hours of free play running around freely for that is the joy of childhood.