Outdoor Play versus Electronics

[Harzelryan]

Children spend too much time using electronics. This book will definitely encourage children to play outside with their toys other than using electronics but they will need parents supervision.

[lesler]

Yes, children are too focused on electronics today. The super ironic part of this was that I can only get this book on my electronics, and that's the way the kids will read it is electronically.

[AmySmiles]

I don't think children will make the conscious effort to play outside more because of this book, but it is nice to see books that are not focused on technology and tv. Perhaps it might interest some children to play outside, but probably because they are the type of child that enjoys being outside. I could be wrong, but I think technology has such a strong pull on children that a book is not going to sway them one way or the other on the topic.

[sheeps44]

Children spend to much time on electronics, however, if the electronic is something that they can actually learn from (instead of those awful toy videos that plague youtube) then it would be.

[Aditi1992]

Now children seems to know more about electronics than adult! They are getting lazy and know nothing about physical labor. However, I think Toni's character will appeal to most of children to come out of their confines and live life as Toni did.

[uyky]

Both plays should be balanced. Kids can learn and prosper from both ways of fun, but everything needs to be in moderation. But balance for me is not 50-50. I do believe playing outside or away from electronics should get to about 80%. Still, computer literacy can be very helpful further in their lives.

[kfwilson6]

The problem is that when you live in the city there aren't enough playgrounds or activities outside that a kid could enjoy if you aren't lucky enough to live in your own house with a garden. And socially everything has gotten really complicated lately, as kids don't even know how to play with each other or interact. It seems to come from their parents that everyone wants to be the boss of others, the "leader", instead of being just a friend. It's hugely important in my mind to have this sense of friendship and trust, where you take care of each other. And this sense of camaraderie very rarely exist anymore. Videogames have turned into real life games, where you always have to be the "winner".

This is a great point that no one has made yet. So many outdoor activities are non-competitive. Even when we played kickball and divided into teams as kids, we never kept score. It was all for the fun of it. No one was worried about being a winner and no one was hurt by being the loser. Videogames can be incredibly competitive. Toni didn't engage in any competitive activities. Reading, swimming, rescuing animals, and doing chores are all very non-competitive

[kfwilson6]

Both plays should be balanced. Kids can learn and prosper from both ways of fun, but everything needs to be in moderation. But balance for me is not 50-50. I do believe playing outside or away from electronics should get to about 80%. Still, computer literacy can be very helpful further in their lives.

Absolutely agree. When I wrote this question I was really thinking of playing video games and watching tv and movies rather than engaging in beneficial electronic activities. I actually wish I were more computer literate in terms of troubleshooting than I am. One thing I spent time to do as a teen was to learn how to type properly. There was even a game on Yahoo that was fun and allowed me to practice typing correctly and quickly. I definitely advocate for educational uses of technology.

I'm glad you said not 50/50. I very much agree with your assessment that the majority of time should be spend away from electronics.

[Gikonyo Caroline]

Yes I think this book will encourage children to engage in outdoor activities especially if they perceive it as activities that superheroes like them love to engage in. Outdoor activities will not only provide health benefits but akso allow the children to develop soft skills such as interpersonal skills that have been under threat due to electronic and social media overindulgence.

[history100]

I am so glad there are no electronic distractions in this story. It reinforces the idea that reading can take you anywhere; you don't need noise and lights and artificial interactions. This is a book for grownups and kids to share - to read, to imagine and to explore together.

[crediblereading2]

Children need to spend more time outdoors playing and enjoying nature. Too much electronics makes them zombie-like.

[Lil Reads]

I've seen a lot of this as well, the difference in childhoods across kids of different ages. My husband has a similar situation to your own; his brother is 14 years younger. My husband grew up on a farm and he worked as much as the adults did. By the time his brother was old enough to do anything like that, they sold the farm and he is always on his computer or cellphone. Instead of doing homework, kids are playing video games. It's not even that it takes up their free time, it's taking up the time they NEED to give to other things.

When we had birthday parties as kids we would go to the park, skating rink, or bowling alley. All physical activities. Now they have those video game centers where you can play as groups or arcades. Technological advancements are not 100% beneficial.

I agree that those who influence children need to influence them toward active activities.

I totally understand how it can be hard as a parent to get their kids out and doing things. I'm not a parent myself, so I won't judge people too harshly. I did have a conversation with my neighbor the other day though, and this conversation made me think sometimes you have to be a bit tougher. But she was saying she was out buying ice cream because her kids were complaining about the heat (heatwave in UK/Ireland right now and we have no AC) and wanted their mom to buy them ice cream. I made a joke to make them walk to the store to get the ice cream. The store from our house is about a 15-minute walk to the store. It's quite common for kids her son's age to walk from school to home (another 15 minutes in the other direction) or to the store for a little treat because we live in a small, quiet town. The worst trouble kids could really get into is if they decided to mess with the cows. Anyway, my neighbor said something along the lines of, "If I told them that, they'd just complain." I think some parents are a bit complacent and don't try to get their kids out and doing things. And when the parents themselves are so involved in technology like their kids are, why would they want to put in the effort? It's definitely a different time we live in now.

The parents not wanting to deal with the complaints is a great observation. That is so true. I'm in your boat, no kids of my own so just making observations. But I have seen a lot of parents just give in to their kids. My husband's nephew is not a very good eater and his mom will say, "you must eat everything on your plate." Not once have I ever seen his plenty actually empty. She just gives up fighting him about it. Dang, I wish it were that easy to get my way. But that is a common practice of parents. They get frustrated, they don't want to show anger toward their child or don't want to feel the aggravation, so they take the easy road. And with video games and tv shows being as addictive as they are, it really is an easy road because it can provide hours of uninterrupted entertainment.

About the picky eater thing, on my dad's side two different approaches yielded similar results somehow.

My dad and his two brothers all liked different things, so grandma alternated what she made, e.g. a meat and pasta with a side of broccoli one night, chicken and rice with a side of green beans the next, plus the next week she would mix and match proteins with veggies and starches.

One brother hated veggies. He went to bed hungry some nights. When he could get a job, he always chose mom and pop restaurants and worked the latest shift he could. He would usually get a meal for free or at a reduced price, plus if anything was going to be thrown away if not consumed that night, he could ask for some of it. This meant he got to eat something he liked and grandma could either could cook his portion as something for someone else to take the next day or adjust the recipe to make less. Today, he will still avoid most veggies or give them to his wife.

The other brother had twin boys who were picky eaters. I cannot remember if they were sick as babies or what, but they usually stuck to a few foods. They went on a Disney cruise with their mom and grandma years ago and still chose hot dogs/cheese pizza or similar foods when they had a plethora of options. Even now they are still picky eaters.

[nkch20]

We can't stop them playing with electronics but defenetly we can make a balance between electronics and the outdoor activities. Your kid is mouldable....He will be as you want him to be

[Chisom13]

Well yes I think that kids today like playing with electronics and spend less time inside, but still Electronics help in improving kids intellect and knowledge even creativity. Like one time I went to a cyber cafe and then I decided to play this game Zuma then I found out that this game really helps me in sharpness and creativity, and also I noticed that you can't play the whole game without actually missing and shooting wrongly, but I can tell you it has given me lots of ideas on some of my projects. But still kids should also go out and exercise themselves and parents should also lead by example, just like the famous quote says "Charity begins at home"

[OloladeO]

Personally, I think kids nowadays spend too much time on electronics. Perhaps this book would open up their minds to outdoor activities.