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Nearly one-third of kids in child care not receiving time outdoors

Thirty-two percent of children in day care do not spend any time during the day outside, according to recently published data.

“We know daily physical activity is essential for children’s growth and development. It improves cardiovascular and bone health and has been linked to improved mood, attention and cognitive performance. Yet, few preschoolers are meeting daily physical activity recommendations of 60 minutes or more per day,” Kristen Copeland, MD, division of general and community pediatrics, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, said in a press release.

Copeland and colleagues evaluated the outdoor time at 30 different child care centers assess the how much time is scheduled for outdoor activity compared with how much time children (n = 388) actually spend outside. Included children were between the ages of 3 and 6 years. 

Results demonstrated that two or more outdoor sessions were scheduled daily among 90% of child care centers; however, only 40% of children had two or more sessions outdoors. Overall, 32% of children had no outdoor time, according to the researchers.

Only 28% of children had more than 60 minutes of outdoor time per day, despite more than 83% of centers reporting having more than 60 minutes of outdoor scheduled.

On average, children spent 2 minutes of every hour doing moderate-to-vigorous physical activity. Children who spent more than 60 minutes outside per day had 0.6 minutes more physical activity per hour while at the child care center and 0.5 minutes more physical activity per hour over a 24-hour period, compared with children who spent less than 60 minutes outside per day.

“To ensure that children receiving adequate opportunities to be active, centers that regularly face inclement conditions should make better use of indoor spaces and encourage teachers to take children outdoor briefly even on cold days. These opportunities may be especially important for children who lack opportunities to be active at home. Findings suggest that child care centers play a pivotal role in children’s [physical activity] levels,” Copeland and colleagues concluded. – by Casey Hower

Disclosures: The researchers report no relevant financial disclosures.