Are kids playing enough?

Personally when you look at things here, this is all quite interesting and I can see your thoughts on this and why it concerns you. I know it does seem like a lot of the time you see less of the kids playing outside and having fun. And the schools are cutting all programs like this due to money, or not wanting to hire someone to watch the kids outside. What happened to Recess, and Dodge Ball, Four Square, Jump Rope, etc. Giving that all up for Xbox, WII's and Computers. No wonder there is a lot of childhood obesity and early Diabetes.

I feel bad when I see obese kids because I know that they are not active enough. In my childhood we would play outside until it was dark or when our parents would call us in. Now kids are glued in front of computers and television and rarely get to play out. Most kids don't even know the names of the games that I used to play when I was a kid. True, we also didn't have a problem with childhood obesity and growing up we had to make do with our imagination and the stuff that we had to play with. A cardboard box was an amazing thing because you can make it into a house, a car, a boat, a spaceship. Rocks weren't just rocks. Unlike now that kids whine when they don't have the latest game gadget that costs a ton. Our snacks were also different that time. I live in the Philippines and I don't recall having chips as snacks. Rather, I frequented the small store of this lady who cooked plantains (maruya, turon, banana-que). It was a special treat when I could get a bottle of cola, and that would be when I was good and if my mom had extra money to give us kids. Now, I am surprised to see even toddlers slurping away at cola.

Yes even here in my country, I noticed that there were few children playing outside now and if you go on facebook you will a lot of them are normally hooked on the net and just playing. It's not like before when we used to play outside with friends. 'Though I stopped when I reached 5th grade In my area, there were still children playing outside but it's very rare that I see them. Normally during the weekends only.

all the kids dont play any sports or even likes to go any place because of the pc, tv ipod ipad kindle and playstation and etc, these are the bad effect i guess, all of them even the young one who maybe afew years old have a mobile or pc, and if we adult become addcit to pc and online time so I guess you cant blame kids if they are addicted to these many games and choices online from sites to chatting things its nice cute world for all

Children these age are not playing enough most of them are in house playing video games and watching tv

HI there..Kids must be kids...physical activities helps makes the kids grow more healthy. Yes, staying indoors is good but watching too much tv, computer games and so on, is bad enough. Kids are no using much more in their muscles.

Hello gee and welcome to myLot. No kids don't play out side enough. Back when John Kennedy he thought that kids didn't get enough exercise and so he encouraged the schools to have P.E. So way back then the health of the American children had become a concern. When I was in grade school back in the fifties we went to school from 9AM to 4PM. we had two recesses and almost an hour for lunch as well as P.E. We had one teacher for the day and she took turns with another teacher for recess and lunch. We did have a P.E. teacher too. One thing that has happened as well as losing the recess and P.E. is the change of play ground equipment. At one time I went to a small country school and we had swings and slides as well as a marry-go-around. you don't see those today. What play ground equipment there is looks very boring to me. Sure a kid or two got hurt going behind the swing too close but we soon learned to keep out of the way. Kids do spend too much time with video games and T.V. With more working two parent house holds today they are good baby sitters. We see too many kids kidnapped and so there is a fear of letting kids outside to play. I lived and raised my kids in a small town during the 60s and 70s and they roamed all over the town and country side. I'm not sure it would be safe to do that today. maybe it is the fact that we have so much more access to the news today and it is scary.

My observation to kids in my area is that, there are still a lot of them who love to play outside. It is actually a problem on my part because one of my kids used to stay outside with his peers. I hate that since I don't want him to be influenced with those kids and he might learn to do bad things as kids usually do when they are outside with out the supervision of their parents. Anyhow, I also have 3 kids who on the contrary love to stay home. They used to watch television and play online game.

My kids are actually playing outside right now! They love being outside and I think its great for them. Its a fenced in yard so their safe and having fun. I think its more of a parents job to make sure our children stay active no one elses. I think parents should reserve TV and video games for at night or rainy days. Thats what I do with mine and it works great!! They are healthy and active. =)

As for him getting snatched up...that i dont worry i live in the middle o no were..lol but its a serious problem. i force my son out if the weather is nice..hes gettin better but he had no imagination whatsoever...the kids technology has curropted thier imagination. i literally had to tell him what he could be doing out there. i know this is so un.mom of me but i dont worry so much about him getting hurt hes a 8 yr old little boy a few bumps an scrapes will never hurt him. we shelter our kids way to much how do they learn not to do sonething without feeling the pain when they do it?? Its how we learn. my parents didnt have cable so i didnt watch tv..cause we had 2 channels an 1 tv so they got to pick..i loved being outside i hate the fact that i gotta force him...but its physically an mentally good for them. technology has done terrible things to our children we all need to be the parents an take just a little of it away at times