Over 400,000 children don’t play outdoors; Screen time, helicopter parents to blame
Hundreds of thousands of children, roughly equivalent to a fourth of all primary school children in the Netherlands, rarely play outdoors, if at all. A recent survey of parents in the country suggested that a combination of excessive screen time and overbearing parenting are key reasons.
"There are about 400,000 children who play outside little to not at all, out of approximately 1.5 million primary school children," said Mascha van Werven during an interview this week with EditieNL. She leads Jantje Beton, the organization that puts together campaigns to get more children playing outside. Even though it was somewhat stormy, Wednesday was Nationale Buitenspeeldag, when kids are encouraged to get off the couch and run around outdoors.
Roughly 45 percent of children aged 4 to 12 play outdoors every day, compared to just 19 percent of teenagers aged 13 to 17, according to an RTL Nieuwspanel survey of 2,000 parents of children aged 4 to 17 released this week. Outdoor activity is not only based on age; location also plays a significant role. Only 23 percent of children in cities play outside daily, compared to 39 percent of children living in villages.
When examining the causes behind the low figures, 87 percent of parents surveyed identified screen time as the main reason why children play outside less often. Additionally, 40 percent of respondents noted that neighborhoods are less socially connected than in the past. "For young children, it is really still about motor development. But it is also about social skills. So, playing together," said Dr. Pauline Slot, professor of integrative pedagogy at Utrecht University.
Additional, 39 percent of those surveyed believe that over-concerned parents mean kids have less fun outside, and 7 percent stated the issue is a fear some children have of ringing the doorbell. "Children also simply need to be given the space to explore a little," Slot told EditieNL.
The survey also shed light on how supervision varies and what drives parental anxiety. Among parents of children aged 4 to 12, about two-thirds let them regularly play outdoors without adult supervision, 18 percent do so sometimes, but 15 percent never allow it.
Traffic and social environment are major sources of unease, as 53 percent of these parents are concerned about cars, 44 percent worry about fatbikes and scooters, and 41 percent fear bullying or fights. More than a third of parents, 38 percent, are anxious about adult strangers.
The results further indicate a widespread acknowledgment of modern parenting styles and a desire for change. The poll showed that 71 percent of parents believe parents are generally too over-protective these days, while 85 percent also stated that parents have to get stricter in general by just sending their kids outside.
"We also want to call upon parents, as well as grandparents and the neighborhood, ‘Let those children go outside. Give them that extra nudge every now and then. Help out a little,’" Van Werven said. "Parents sometimes find it a bit daunting."
