I participated in an Influencer Activation on behalf of Influence Central for TruGreen. I received a promotional item to thank me for my participation.
Nothing compares to the time spent outdoors. Although it was a mere 50 degrees this weekend, my whole family was outside practically the entire weekend. We had a bonfire, played tag, planted two pine trees from Earth Day, and our kids ran all around – building forts in the woods, playing on the playground, and my son said at one point,
I’m playing with my imagination, Mom.
What could be better than living life outside?
Turn Off Electronics and #LiveLifeOutside
Too Much Screen Time is Bad for Kids
I’m sure your child’s pediatrician has told you at every well-visit to limit your child’s exposure to screen time. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends 2 hours or less per day for kids ages 2-18 and no TV for kids under 2. Just because we have a zillion new devices that have a million different fun and even educational apps doesn’t reduce that recommended screen time.
We can all agree (the study revealed 92%) that kids need to spend more time outside and less time on screen time and video games.
Recent studies suggest staggering results on the impact screen time is having on our children from increase risk of emotional problems to poor family functioning, inhibit ability to develop empathy, higher body mass index (BMI), and could be detrimental to their social-emotional development, including mental illness.
Spring is a good time to turn off the computers, smartphones, and video games and spend time in the back yard.
Outside Time is Good for Everyone
Being outdoors is good for everyone. People that who spend more time outdoors have less depression and stress. Being outdoors can improve your outlook on life, improve focus, lead to better health, and even strengthen your immunity.
Outdoor play for kids is essential for active, healthy bodies. Kids that play outside also score higher on testing, have less stress, and better emotional and social development.
Jason Cameron, a licensed contractor and television host reveals the results of a recent study by TruGreen on what Americans think about living life outside:
Over 1/2 of Americans want to spend more time outside although 68% are spending less time outside now than they did 5 years ago. How much of that do you think has to do with our society being more connected online than in person?
Guess what. It’s always important for moms and dads to get outside too. Moms, you aren’t off the hook – men spend about 26 more hours per year outside than women!
How to #LiveLifeOutside
Spending time outdoors is important for everyone, having a space that feels good in outside is also important. 3 out 5 Americans say that their yard is their favorite place for family time. It is also where cherished memories are made. Here are a few tips on how to improve your yard experience.
Clean up
If you are like me, you can’t enjoy yourself and relax if your environment is a mess. My husband and I both work from home. I can’t concentrate enough to work if I have a messy house. I can’t watch a movie if there are toys all over the living room.
The same goes for outside. I can’t sit back and relax with my family if I have a yard full of dead grass, mole holes, and fallen tree limbs on the ground.
We have fallen tree limbs and sticks in our yard all year long. We challenge our kids to gather enough sticks in the yard to start a bonfire and it works every time. They know that a bonfire means S’mores!
We also have contests for the person or team that collects the most sticks or pulls the most weeds from the flower beds!
Plant Flowers
It is amazing what a flat of flowers can do for a yard! Adding a few bursts of color around your house in foundation planting is a great start. If you spend more time on your back deck, add flowers around the deck, around trees, or place hanging baskets on a garden hooks.
Add a Bird Feeder
We love our birds and have about 4 feeders filled year-round. Start with one and see how much your family enjoys it. I suggest getting a couple different types of seed to see which brings the most colorful birds to your yard.
Buy Yard Toys and Games
A yard filled with toys and games for kids and adults is fun for everyone! Our kids’ playground was the best investment, they have played on it for years!
If you can’t afford a playground, add a disc swing to a backyard tree. Other fun games to have on hand for backyard family game night includes corn hole, horse shoes, bocce, zipline, croquet, and ladder golf.
Be sure to have on hand plenty of sporting equipment for a game of badminton, soccer, wiffle ball, football, volleyball, and soft ball.
Your kids will also love opportunities for imaginative play if you give them a playhouse/fort, or sand castles in a sand box too!
Take Care of Your Lawn
Even if you do all of the above, if you have a yard that isn’t taken care of, nobody will enjoy it. We have used TruGreen for years and now have a lush, green lawn that is not only beautiful to look at but fun to run, play, and relax in.
We are big DIYers but when it comes to a lush, green lawn, we trust the experts at TruGreen. They provide a scientific plan specific for your lawn and they come and take care of it for you! No more guessing on what your lawn needs at the home improvement stores!
We’ve also done the math and have found that TruGreen services and materials are comparable to the price we were paying to do it ourselves – but when we did it, the results were no where near what TruGreen has done for our lawn! Just compare our lawn with our neighbor’s lawn.
Which yard would you rather relax and play in? The yard TruGreen lawn or the other? TruGreen makes a big difference.
Enter The Yardleys Sweepstakes
TruGreen is giving you the chance to win the ultimate outdoor living room complete with The Yardleys Sweepstakes! Win a $3,000 gift card, 1 year of TruGreen Service, and an Outdoor Movie Theater!! Contest ends May 1, 2015 at 11:59pm, so enter now!!
Read more about what American’s say about living life outside.
Check out the TruGreen website or TruGreen on Facebook.
