National Play Outside Day
The importance of outdoor activities needs no telling for different issues such as self-reflection and physical exercise. To uphold the importance of outdoor activities a day has been set aside to celebrate and inspire people to play outside of the home. Every first Saturday of November the national play outside day is celebrated among the people.
National Play Outside Day-Date
National Play Outside Day is celebrated specifically on the first Saturday every month of every year, which is dated November 4 this year 2024. Come outside of the home and play and do some outdoor activities with your family, friends, kids, and neighbors.
History of National Play Outside Day
The lower rate of participation in outdoor activities and the significant changes in pastimes drew the attention of British and American public health sectors’. They noticed that people are not participating in outdoor activities like before and the rate is decreasing. This included both children and adults. And people confined themselves in the four walls with different entertaining instruments.
This made some people very concerned. Arron Wiggans and Rhonda D.Abeyta decided to change the pattern to bring people outside the home. In 2011 they declared the National Play Outside Day. They recognized the first Saturday of every month to celebrate the day.
Significance Of Playing Outside
Playing outside refers to getting along with mother nature. The source of every happiness, every necessary belonging, and health, etc. Nature has immense possibilities to enrich our knowledge, improve our health, keep our mind and our body active.
The recent era has seen significant changes among the pastimes and lifestyles of the people. Children and people were much more involved in outdoor activities in the previous decades. Whereas people now are more indoor-centered. Do not participate in any outdoor activities. There has been a paradigmatic shift in the lifestyles of people. As a result, dreadful consequences have been found in the health and psychological terms of recent peoples’ life, which had a comparatively low rate among the previous decades’ people.
The significance of playing outside is much more than just a casual activity. Playing outside helps us develop a habit of physical exercise regularly. That keeps us fit both mentally and physically. It also gives us opportunities of knowing the places and interesting things if we do it in a broader sense. Playing outside sets the priority of maintaining a healthy and fit body. Through this activity, we get chances to come closer to mother nature. Nature helps us develop our power of imagination. It brings out the best of us. We can enjoy nature’s scenic beauty and soothe our eyes and soften our hearts and mind. Arranging this activity we come in contact with people, family, friends, and others. By participating in the activity we can create memories.
Causes of Lower Rate of Participation in Outdoor Activities
There are several reasons for which people stopped playing outside or the lower rate of participation in outdoor activities. The world is more dynamic now. Life is much busier than previously it used to be.
- The places for outdoor activities have disappeared. Before there used to be more places and open grounds for people to go out and play and hang out, doing outdoor activities.
- people have confined themselves in the four walls. They use different video games and other entertainment mediums during their leisure. They have become lethargic.
- Parents are now not so interested and reluctant to send their children to play outside.
- the media frighteningly presented the activity.
- people have become less social and less active due to modern technologies and amenities.
Celebrating The Day
There are many ways to celebrate the day and remark the importance of this particular day. This day gives us the occasion to take a break from our monotonous, day-to-day life. One can celebrate the day by going out with family and friends and participating in different outdoor activities. Games can be arranged in schools and colleges. Parents should tell their children the benefits of playing outside regularly. A study in 2024 has shown the fact that 2 hours of regular outdoor activities in a week can keep a man healthy and fit both mentally and physically.
