COTTON-wool children are so clueless about how to play outdoors that increased numbers are breaking limbs. Experts fear for this new generation of klutzy kids. The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare says there was an 8.46 per cent increase in emergency presentations of children aged five to 14 in 2012-13 compared with 2010-11. The news is so grim that the State Government is rolling out Nature Play, a project to educate parents and children on how to switch screen time to green time. Have our children fogotten how to play outdoors? Research by Sports Medicine Australia related to children’s physical activity levels reveals that less-active children are at greater risk of injury in the schoolyard. Lead author Professor Evert Verhagen, adjunct professor at the Australian Centre for Research into Injury in Sport and its Prevention, said the researchers decided on the study following a marked increase in arm and wrist fractures among primary school-aged children. “This rise in injuries appears to correlate to a decrease in physical activity and motor skills,” he said. “In simple terms, many children no longer know how to play. “Steps need to be taken to ensure those less-active children are still engaged in physical education and prevention programs to help them play without injuring themselves.” Nature Play is an initiative designed to educate parents on how to get their children out of the house to play. “Based on the huge success that Western Australia has had with this initiative, the Queensland Government, through the Department of National Parks, Recreation, Sport and Racing, is providing $1.5 million over three years to Queensland Outdoor Recreation Federation to establish Nature Play Queens-land,” Sport Minister Steve Dickson said. “Childhood obesity has reached epidemic proportions in Queensland, and this is a fun and practical solution that gets the whole community involved.” The project, aimed at kids aged three to 12 plus, offers resourceson outdoor activities. Incentives include personalised “passports” full of nature-based “missions”. Mermaid Waters mother Marcelle Buist allows her two girls Josie and Maggie to climb trees and take risks. “Isn’t it sad that parents are so afraid of children hurting themselves with rough-and-tumble play yet the figures are showing that kids are actually ending up with more injuries. Taking risks is part of life,” she said. couriermail.au/news/queensland/queensland-state-government-to-reteach-kids-how-to-play-via-nature-play-education-program/story-fnihsrf2-1226837594692
Posted on: Wed, 26 Mar 2014 23:39:03 +0000