An increasing number of people in the U.S. are becoming concerned that their kids are sitting on their asses playing video games or surfing the Web and not playing outside. It seems that some kids know more about the Brazilian rain forest than about the bugs, birds and squirrels in their own backyards. 

Not all kids are playing outside

The National Wildlife Foundation is trying to help, with a new initiative called “Be Out There,” designed to encourage parents to involve their kids in fun outdoor activities. The program is described at www.nwf.org/beoutthere. 

The NWF describes today’s kids as “America’s first indoor generation” and calls them “the first generation ever to grow up isolated from nature.” According to the site, the time that kids spend outdoors has gone down by more than half, while they are now using electronic media for more than six hours per day. “A daily dose of the outdoors improves children’s physical, mental and emotional well-being,” according to the site. “The benefits of outdoor play are real: healthier kids with a life-long appreciation of wildlife and nature.”