By Sheryl Berkley
8 Helpful Tips to Encourage Kids to Play Outside This Summer
Summer is the perfect time for children to unplug and enjoy the outdoors. However, many parents find themselves competing with tablets, video games, streaming services, and smartphones for their kids’ attention. As screen time continues to rise, experts are emphasizing the importance of outdoor play for children's physical health, emotional well-being, social development, and learning. With so many digital distractions, outdoor play can easily take a backseat.
Recent research from the American Academy of Pediatrics highlighted the value of unstructured play and outdoor activity. In its 2026 policy statement on recess, the AAP reaffirmed that play is essential for children's social, emotional, physical, and cognitive development. Free play also helps build problem-solving, communication, leadership, and emotional regulation skills. Outdoor spaces were also found to positively impact kids’ well-being and readiness to learn.
With that in mind, here is how parents can make outdoor activities more appealing and enjoyable throughout summer and beyond.
Make Outdoor Time Part of the Daily Routine
Children often thrive on consistency. So instead of treating outdoor play as an occasional activity, build it into the family's daily schedule. Whether it's a morning bike ride, an afternoon backyard play session, or an evening walk after dinner, having a predictable outdoor routine helps children view outside time as a normal part of the day rather than an optional activity. When outdoor play becomes a habit, children are less likely to automatically reach for a screen whenever they have free time.
Create Outdoor Adventures Close to Home
Parents don't need elaborate vacations or expensive attractions to encourage outdoor play. Many children simply need opportunities to explore. Backyard scavenger hunts, neighborhood nature walks, bug hunts, sidewalk chalk contests, and simple obstacle courses can transform familiar spaces into exciting adventures. The key is in introducing an element of discovery. Children are naturally curious, and activities that allow them to investigate, collect, build, or create often feel more exciting than passive entertainment.
Let Kids Have a Say
Children are more likely to participate in activities they help choose. Instead of telling them exactly what to do outside, offer options and let them decide. For example, ask whether they would rather ride bikes, play soccer, visit a park, build a fort, play with water balloons, or go on a nature walk. Giving children ownership over their outdoor time can increase enthusiasm and reduce resistance. The AAP notes that child-directed play is particularly important because it encourages creativity, independence, decision-making, and social development.
Invite Friends Along
Outdoor play often becomes more appealing when it includes social interaction. Organizing neighborhood playdates, park meetups, or backyard games with friends can provide additional motivation to head outside. Research shows that peer engagement and social play help children develop communication skills, cooperation, conflict resolution abilities, and emotional self-control. These social benefits are among the reasons experts consider play such an important part of healthy child development.
Make Screens Less Convenient
Parents don't necessarily need to ban screens altogether. Instead, consider setting reasonable boundaries that encourage balance. For example, some families establish screen-free hours during the day, while others require outdoor activity before recreational screen use. Keeping tablets, gaming devices, and televisions off during certain periods can also help children discover alternative ways to entertain themselves.
When outdoor activities become the easiest available option, many children naturally spend more time outside.
Embrace Unstructured Play Outside
It can be tempting to fill summer schedules with camps, sports, lessons, and organized activities. While those experiences have value, children also benefit from free, unstructured play.
The AAP's latest research emphasizes that self-directed play provides unique developmental benefits that cannot be fully replicated through adult-led activities. Unstructured outdoor play encourages creativity, imagination, problem-solving, negotiation, and independence while giving children a chance to decompress and manage stress.
Sometimes the best thing parents can do is simply provide a safe outdoor space and allow children to decide how they want to use it. Creating a backyard play area with safety in mind can help children play more confidently and give parents greater peace of mind. Installing protective rubber surfacing for playgrounds (which is designed to provide impact absorption) around swing sets, climbing structures, and play equipment can help reduce the risk of injuries from falls.
By combining a safe environment with opportunities for free play, parents can encourage children to spend more time outdoors while supporting both fun and healthy development.
Lead by Example
Children often model what they see. Parents who spend time outdoors are more likely to raise children who enjoy outdoor activities. Family hikes, bike rides, gardening projects, outdoor games, or evening walks can create opportunities for connection while demonstrating that outdoor recreation is enjoyable for all ages. These shared experiences can also help build positive memories that children associate with being outside.
Focus on Fun Rather Than Exercis
Many parents encourage outdoor play because they want their children to be active, but framing activities as exercise may not always resonate with kids. Instead, emphasize enjoyment, adventure, creativity, and exploration. The AAP notes that children are more likely to engage in physical activity when they are participating "for the sheer joy of it." Activities that feel fun rather than obligatory are more likely to become lifelong habits.
Outdoor Play Matters More Than Ever for Kids!
Outdoor play remains one of the most valuable and accessible tools for supporting a child's healthy development. Research continues to show that time spent outdoors helps children build social skills, improve emotional well-being, stay physically active, reduce stress, and strengthen cognitive abilities. As screens continue to compete for kids’ attention, parents can play an important role in creating opportunities that make outdoor play appealing, rewarding, and part of everyday summer life.
Sheryl Berkley is the Chief Technology Officer at Rubberecycle Corporation, a leader in top quality rubber surfacing products for playgrounds and commercial establishments since 1996. The company specializes in impact-absorbing playground mulch, tiles, and poured-in-place surfacing.. A playground safety expert, Sheryl educates the public on best practices for safe play environments, the benefits of sustainable surfacing materials, and strategies for preventing common injuries. https://www.rubberecycle.com/