Kids Complaining About Outside Time :(

[SunflowerMama]

I just don't get it. When we were little (I'm in my mid-30s now) our parents had to drag us inside and that was usually just long enough to eat and then we were out again until dark.

I have some 4 and 5 year olds that complain every day about going outside. "It's boring", "there's nothing to do", "I'm hot", "I'm cold", "the grass is wet"...

It drives me crazy!! We go out twice a day and I've recently replenished the sand table, added a little garden for then to play in, restocked the chalk and bubbles and allow them to bring out toys (barbies, books, etc.). Nothing helps. They still complain and whine the entire time. I try to help encourage imaginative play and they want no part of it .

The younger ones are fine and love getting dirty but the couple of older ones I have would be 100% content never playing outside.

I ask them if they play in their yard at home and very few do. They will take an occassional trip to the park but it lasts about 30mins and then home again.

Any advice on things to help the older kids enjoy outside time?? It's beyond frustrating at this point.

[Kelly]

I am having the same problem. I only have ond child, a3.5 yrs old, in the afternoons and he only wants to stay out if I'm pushing him on the swing, which I won't do the whole time. I have a sand & water table, dirt to dig in, slides, toys, bubbles, playdoh, paint, lots of open space to run around, balls, cars & trucks, etc. He has trouble entertaining himself inside too---always wants me to play with him--but it's worse outside.

[Blackcat31]

My DCK's RARELY complain about outside time but in the past I used to have DCK's who did complain about it and complained alot all the time.

So when it was outside time, they got a choice, outside and play or inside and nap...funny but they always choose to play outside.

[KDC]

Same thing here... I have a swing set with clubhouse, slide, climbing wall, sand/water table, bouncy house, step 2 roller coaster, I have tools, puppets, balls, books, animals, and other plenty of toys (Plastic frogs and things), radio -- and they're inside right now doing puzzles:confused: GET OUT! "it's too hooootttt"...BTW, it's 75 degrees and sunny out there right now. It doesn't get better than this kiddos, out you go! Why do they not want to be outside... I would love this as a kid?

[cheerfuldom]

sounds like kids that watch a lot of TV at home.

I would ignore, say "go play" and not even acknowledge the complaint, rinse and repeat till they give up and play.

[3girls]

I have this issue too - and its usually MY children who don't want to go!! My youngest goes around saying "I'm boring, I'm boring..." I usually offer chores as an alternative

It is cold a lot where I live so when its sunny and nice I insist on outside play.

[DCBlessings27]

I don't have a problem with the kids being bored outside. I have a swingset with attached playhouse, 2 Step 2 climbers, 3 Cozy Coupes, picnic table, sandbox and other toys.

Right now, they've been using scoops and shovels to play in dirt mostly. They would swing all day if I pushed them.

I do a couple activities with them outside if I feel like it (I feel less like playing sometimes due to pregnancy). They like to play duck, duck, goose. They don't understand the concept though. So, on "goose," I tell them all to run and then come back.

Since some kids do watch a lot of tv, I did come up with an activity that they're loving right now. We go on "Dora" adventures. It inspires imagination, and they connect it to one of their favorite characters.

One "Dora adventure:"
Call backpack backpack. Backpack says to get to Grandma's house, we have to cross the river in the boat, climb the mountain, and tiptoe past the tiger in the forest. I then lead them in doing the activities. They would do Dora adventures all day.

[AnneCordelia]

I don't have any DCKs that age (mine are all under 2) but my own bigger kids are 4, 7, and 8. When they complain about being bored they get a chore. They quickly learn to occupy themselves. And for a week or two my place was really clean! Chores like weeding the garden, washing baseboards, windows, etc. LOL.

I don't know if you can do that with DCKs though.

[jenn]

Same here. I am amazed at how often I have to say "Go play." Everyone is excited to go out and there are more than enough activities for them to do. After 5-10 minutes, some are just standing around like they don't know what to do. Crazy. I think a lot of them don't really get much outside play time at home, don't go to the park, don't do outside sports,...so they really just don't know how to play outside. I have found that they love it when it is directed play, like an obstacle course that everyone does together or everyone doing parachute play, but when it comes to outside free play, they really struggle.

[Mydaycare]

Same with my dck, but I can understand them over here if we are not 100 degrees I'm sure we are very close to it so I took them out around 9am but it was already kind of hot so they only stayed outside for 20 min

[countrymom]

I have this problem here and my back up provider said the same thing. All the kids want to go outside and we go outside and then they all want back inside. I have a feeling that many of the kids sit and watch tv so they don't know what to do outside.

[Unregistered]

Hi, just wondering what you have outside. In our yard we have crates and stacks of sticks, rocks, sand, mud, tubs, pots, water, pans, and just loads and loads of things and stuff. The kids make up games, and use the stuff for whatever they want to do. I use mostly natural resources and junk from charity stores, so it doesn't matter what the kids do to it cos it's all low cost or free.
The kids become engrossed for hours out there and have loads of fun and learn loads too. Whenever I only have shop bought toys out, the kids get bored cos there isn't the scope for imaginative play with them like there is with 'stuff'.

[mac60]

I will have 2 9 yr olds this summer. They will either play outside in the fenced in yard, or take a nap during my nap time. There will be no sitting in the house between 1 and 3:30. There is simply no reason for 2 9yr olds to sit in the house on a nice summer day. They can sit outside and read a book or play or sit under a tree, or whatever. I have board games, a couple yard games, and they will just have to figure out how to entertain themselves, just like we did when we were kids.

[Nellie]

Same here. I am amazed at how often I have to say "Go play." Everyone is excited to go out and there are more than enough activities for them to do. After 5-10 minutes, some are just standing around like they don't know what to do. Crazy. I think a lot of them don't really get much outside play time at home, don't go to the park, don't do outside sports,...so they really just don't know how to play outside. I have found that they love it when it is directed play, like an obstacle course that everyone does together or everyone doing parachute play, but when it comes to outside free play, they really struggle.

My board kids either are only children that parents play with them all the time or have an older sibiling that directs the play for them at home. I have a couple that are really struggling. The fallow me around looking at me as a play partner. It isn't good enough for another child to play catch with them they want me instead. I took them to the park on Friday and even there I had one girl hardly leave my side. She wanted to go home the entire time.

[nothingwithoutjoy]

I see this a lot, and I think it's the saddest thing. It seems to me that it's a combination of too much t.v., and too little just-going-out-to-play. It seems nowadays, parents think if they're not going somewhere entertaining--park, kid gym, etc, their kids will be bored. Or they themselves are bored, and so don't take their kids out to play. I think it's just a matter of having to learn how to entertain themselves--do it over and over and over, play a bit with them until they're engaged and then back away, give them gobs of time to get fully engaged, and it'll pass.