Abstract
Societal changes in living demographics, changes in school system regulations, and an increase in the amount and availability of screen-based entertainment have significantly decreased the amount of time and experiences children engage in outdoor play (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2005). The literature identified a critical importance of a healthy diet is synergistic with outdoor play to have a more effective impact on healthy development. Therefore, the need to inform parents, teachers and society about the advantages of healthy eating and involvement in outdoor activities is crucial. The purpose of this project is to create a clear, concise, easy to implement guide for parents in the Sacramento County that explains the benefits of outdoor activities. The “Parents’ Guide to a Healthy Start” links these benefits with several developmental domains (cognitive, socio-emotional and language) and presents the negative effects of sedentary life styles. It also includes healthy eating habits, outdoor activities, and local resources. While there are other publications that offer some of this information, there are no resources currently available to offer parents a well-rounded informative guide. Sources of Data An extensive review of the literature was conducted to identify empirical and theoretical studies, as well as books and online resources about outdoor play in early childhood. The literature review includes the following topics: the benefits of outdoor play, changes in living demographics and school systems, developmental consequences of sedentary live styles, healthy eating habits, and parents’ role in outdoor play. After completion of the literature review, the researcher developed the guide that included all the above. Furthermore, the researcher included a section on gardening, outdoor play activities, and local resources available to the public in the Sacramento region. Conclusions Reached There is a wealth of studies about benefits of outdoor play and negative effects of sedentary life styles for children’s healthy development. There are also publications and many local resources available for families who are in need of this information. However, none of these publications cover all of the factors found by the literature for families to understand the importance of outdoor activities in a concise and easy to read format. The “Parents’ Guide to a Healthy Start” provides parents with information and hands-on activities. In addition, it offers information about community resources that can help families learn more and become connected with many other activities and resources. The guide allows parents’ to get all the information in one handbook and become aware of easy ways to help their children have a healthy start that will carry on into adulthood.