Reasons to send kids outside

Sometimes the best technology is the kind that's been growing since before there were humans to appreciate it. This spring, Business Insider noted 11 Reasons You Should Go Outside, with links to research papers supporting each reason:

1. Improved short-term memory

In one study, University of Michigan students were given a brief memory test, then divided into two groups.

One group took a walk around an arboretum, and the other half took a walk down a city street....those who had walked among trees did almost 20% percent better than the first time. The ones who had taken in city sights instead did not consistently improve.... ...

5. Better vision

At least in children, a fairly large body of research has found that outdoor activity may have a protective effect on the eyes, reducing the risk of developing nearsightedness (myopia)....

6. Improved concentration

... ...kids with ADHD ... have been found to concentrate better after just 20 minutes in a park. "'Doses of nature' might serve as a safe, inexpensive, widely accessible new tool ... for managing ADHD symptoms," researchers wrote.

... 7. Sharper thinking and creativity

"Imagine a therapy that had no known side effects, was readily available, and could improve your cognitive functioning at zero cost." That's the dramatic opening to a 2008 paper describing the promise of so-called "nature therapy" — or, as a non-academic might call it, "time outside." ...

Another study found that people immersed in nature for four days ... boosted their performance on a creative problem-solving test by 50%.

They also note other kinds of reasons which are real, but not what this blog is about. Speaking very loosely, it looks like trees are better (for your kids' brains) than grass which is better than pavement which is better than indoor activity which is better than sitting down. (Maybe for your brains, too.)