Children ages 8-18 spend an average of more than seven hours a day, outside of school, watching television, playing video games and using the computer. In a typical week, only 6 percent of children ages 9-13 actually play outside on their own. This shift from outdoor activity to indoor sedentary lifestyles is partly responsible for the increases in obesity, diabetes, hypertension and vitamin D deficiency in children.
Nationwide Children’s Hospital encourages overall family health and wellness through a variety of avenues and resources. Doctors suggest that one of the most important, yet simple ways is through active, outdoor play. Enjoying the great outdoors as a family and moving beyond those sedentary lifestyles, promotes healthy, happy families.
To kick off the spring/summer months and emphasize the importance of outdoor play, Nationwide Children’s invites the community to “Come Out & Walk, Garden & Play!” Saturday, May 8 on the grounds of Franklin Park Conservatory. This free back-to-basics spring wellness event begins at 9 a.m. with a community rally and “Walk with a Doc” – a one-mile walk in the park that gives kids and their families an opportunity to explore the outdoor campus of the Conservatory alongside more than 100 doctors from Nationwide Children’s and central Ohio community health organizations.
A gardening workshop in the new ScottsMiracle-Gro Community Garden Campus will follow at 10 a.m., as well as play areas located throughout offering tips on how parents can get their kids away from video games and outside this summer. There will also be open fire cooking demonstrations, yoga in the serenity garden, composting and planting demonstrations, free giveaways and more.
With admission to Franklin Park Conservatory, additional activities will follow “Come Out & Walk, Garden & Play!” until 5 p.m. The festivities feature the annual Mother’s Day plant sale, Blooms and Butterflies and a children’s concert performed by Pro Musica Orchestra.