The average American child spends 4-7 minutes a day in unstructured play outdoors and seven hours a day in front of a screen, according to the Child Mind Institute. Studies also show that Americans spend 87% of their time indoors and 6% in an automobile. That means only 7% of our lives are spent outdoors.

So why is this a concern?

We know time spent outdoors brings huge benefits. The research is clear.

The benefits of spending time in nature include:

• Better overall physical and mental health
• Reduced stress and anxiety, even a reduction in ADHD symptoms
• Higher academic achievement, including better test scores and fewer attendance problems
• Increased child development, including better coordination, higher creativity, enhanced problem-solving, higher levels of confidence and increased responsibility
• Increased empathy toward others, animals and nature.