1000 Hours Outside

6 reasons why we decided to commit to getting outdoors

Being outside is good for adults and children in SO many ways. I think that deep down, we all know this to be true, but sometimes staying inside is just easier. So when Tyler went back to work and E and I were spending our days together inside, I decided I needed to commit to a change.

Welcome 1000 Hours Outside. I had heard of 1000 Hours Outside in the past, but never committed to doing it myself. The idea here is simple; track your hours outside and try to spend 1000 hours outdoors within 1 year (which equates to roughly 20 hours per week or a little less than 3 hours per day). The founders of 1000 Hours Outside came up with the idea when they realized that city, county, and state parks were increasingly devoid of children as more kids spent time on screens. They started to do some research and found that the ideal time that children should be spending outdoors is 4-6 hours per day! As founder Ginny Yurich mentions, “This seemed excessive to us and quite frankly, way too long - most children's activities are at most an hour (like a library program) and, many times, much less.” Even though this seemed impossible, they decided to give it a go, aiming to spend 1000 hours outside in 1 year.

Thousands have joined this movement over the years and you can follow them on Instagram for some inspiration and stories.

Now…

Here are 6 reasons why we are committing to getting outdoors for 1000 hours this year:

1. Intentionally creating a habit of going outside

Tyler and I decided that as part of our goal to be intentional in our parenting, we wanted to try to set up habits that we hope will become a natural part of E’s life. One of the things we hope to instill in her is spending time outdoors when possible. While it’s easy to say we are going to try to get outdoors more, committing to 1000 hours in 1 year will force us to ACTUALLY make sure that happens. We figure that after a full year of intentionally spending many hours outdoors, it will most likely become a habit for all of us.

2. Being outside is grounding and regulating

Y’all, parenting is hard! Any activity that we can do that helps us to stay grounded and regulated will help us be better parents. While struggling with my anxiety while pregnant and shortly after E was born, my therapist recommended walks outside. I’m telling you, on the days when we went for walks, my anxiety was markedly better; I felt grounded and was able to think more clearly. We can only be powerful co-regulators for our children if we are regulated ourselves. And the best part is, being outside is actually very regulating for babies and children as well. There is a reason that fresh air is often recommended for colicky babies and tantruming toddlers. Getting outside, especially on those hard days where you just want to curl up under a blanket and hide from the world, can be a game changer. I’m excited to be doing something intentionally

3. Feeling a connection with the Earth

As a parent, the climate emergency feels more pressing than ever. Raising a kiddo who WILL have to deal with the consequences of climate change is scary. But something that I have come to realize is that it’s hard to care about something if you don’t truly know, understand, and appreciate it. So we have a goal of raising E in a way that helps her to feel a connection with the Earth and a desire to care for it, which would be hard to do if you didn’t know the wonders of the breeze in your hair, the sun on your face, or mud between your toes.

4. The benefits of playing outside are limitless

Outdoor play is unmatched when it comes to it’s benefits. Aside from all of the health benefits we get from just being outdoors (LINK), outdoor play is limitless. In outdoor play, children are able to develop sensory skills, proprioceptive skills, large and small motor skills, social skills, language, math, science, and more. They learn about their bodies and risk assessment, they build confidence and independence. Outdoor play is ESSENTIAL, so committing to 1000 hours outside will help us ensure that E is getting ample opportunity to reap all the benefits of outdoor play.

5. Helping us to limit screen time

We are trying to raise E with limited screen time, which can be hard in this day and age, when we are constantly being pulled back to screens, whether it be TV or our phones and computers. Getting outside more naturally pulls us away from screens and into the present. We are less likely to sit and scroll when we are out for a hike, going for a swim at the lake, or sitting and reading books at the park

6. Memories are made outdoors

I don’t know about you all, but most of my best memories, from my childhood and adulthood, are from times I spent outside. Whether it was camping at Lake Shasta, splashing in my grandparents pool, sitting around a firepit with highschool friends, walking around Rome during my honeymoon, or sitting out by the lake reading my book, I know I have infinitely more memories from being outside than I do inside. And sure, while E is so young, she may not remember many of the hours we spend outside, but I know that the spark of the outdoors will live on in her. (And we are making memories too!)

These are just 6 of the reasons that we are committing to getting outside more. If you need more inspiration, here are 100 reasons for 1000 hours outside!

To make it easy to track, they have created free logs and they even have a free app to help you keep track of all of your hours! Will you join us on this adventure? If 1000 hours feels like too much, can you commit to 250 hours? 500 hours? It might just change your life!