Most teenagers are attached to their screens, from gaming to social media, it can be difficult to get them disconnected to enjoy the outdoors for even a brief time.

The outdoors is the perfect place to spend time with your teen because it’s a world free from distraction. It’s also a great way to help your teenager decompress and relax. Back home it’s TV, cell-phones, tablets and anything digital to occupy a teenager’s mind, but step outside and everything changes.

If you are a parent or guardian reading this, it was natural to drop the books after-school hop on your bikes and simply play outdoors until dinner time. It is a different now, however not so much that kids shouldn’t have time to be in the fresh-air and enjoy their friends in the neighborhood.

It’s first important to realize the health benefits of insisting your teenager spend time outdoors during the week.

1. Overall mental health: By spending time outside it can improve a teens’ focus, their mood, reduce stress and anxiety, and cultivate emotional intelligence.

2. Physical health: Physical activity helps teens develop strength, coordination, and cardiovascular fitness.

3. Builds self-confidence: Teens that spend time outdoors, specifically in nature, helps build self-worth.

5 Ways to Get Your Teen Outdoors

Parents need to start by giving your teen chores that include outdoor activities, such as:

1. Gardening: Do you have a vegetable garden? This is a great way to get your teenager outside and part of a fantastic project! If you haven’t started one — the time is now. One way to begin is by asking them what they would like to grow, depending on where you live, give them options that can be successful.

Planting flowers is just as engaging and exciting as they nurture them and watch them grow.

Gardening for teens has specifically shown great promise as an effective way to help combat behavioral issues and to improve the self-esteem of adolescents.

2. Walking the dog: Studies have proven that the presence of a dog in the life of an adolescent has positive outcomes in terms of physical activity level. This also helps improve cardiovascular health, weight management, and boosts mental-wellness by reducing stress.

One of the best benefits of dog walking is meeting your neighbors and starting conversations (in real life) rather than on screens. It will give your teenager a chance to enjoy the community face-to-face.

3. Lawncare: Whether it’s mowing your lawn, pulling weeds or raking leaves — giving your teen lawncare on their list of chores will get them outside and off their devices. This also build confidence with a sense of accomplishment.

If your teen is of age, they may want to expand into a lawncare business in the neighborhood for extra money.

4. Biking: Biking is not a chore; however it should be a requirement for your teen at least 2 to 3 times a week. Riding a bike can enhance social, emotional, and cognitive well-being. Being outside in the fresh-air, pedaling and letting your thoughts be free can help reduce stress and anxiety.

Students were more likely to report spending fewer hours in front of screens after regularly riding bikes according to People for Bikes. Parent should actually include this in their technology agreement — your teen should be required to spend at least 2-3 days each week on their bike outside for an hour.

5. Wash the car, clean the patio, vacuum the pool: Whatever you have outside that needs cleaning or maintenance, include this in your teen’s chore list. It’s imperative you get them outdoors as much as possible in today’s digital times.

Washing the car is a great physical activity for teens, it involves bending, reaching and stretching. For those that are sitting bending their screens, this can be crucial for their physical health.

Conclusion

The list above is about what how you can get your teenager outdoors at home, there are more ways you can bond with your teen in nature on short trips. Nature is a powerful tool for promoting teen mental health and well-being.

Also read:

How to Help Your Teen That Feels Lonely

How to Help My Teen Through Family Therapy

Image credit: Freepik, prostooleh