I’m considered as a millenial. I grew up in that weird intersection of technological advancement; half of my childhood was spent outdoors, playing, swimming, and getting dirt all over me. The other half was spent watching TV, playing video games, texting on my phone, and exploring the internet. All in all, I did have a really great time growing up. And I do have some great memories that involved technology- playing Kingdom Hearts with my cousin until dawn, listening to music on my Ipod on the bus home sharing an earbud with a boy, making a Myspace with my best friend in high school, and meeting friends online that I still have today.

However, almost all my best childhood memories come from being outside: building outdoor forts, riding bikes, going camping, playing with my dog, catching fireflies, making smores, swimming in my best friend’s pool, heading to the playground, softball in the summer, running after the icecream truck, jumping off my cousin’s rope swing, making igloos and having snowball fights in the winter- I could go on. Now that smart phones and flat screens and high speed WIFI have taken over completely, lots of kids are not getting a lot of those same memories. If you are trying to limit your kids’ screen time and get them outside more, check out this awesome list of outdoor activities by Cerys at Rainy Day Mum:

-Roll down really big hills

-Go camping in the wild

-Make a mud pie

-Skip a stone in a lake

-Fly a kite

-Make a daisy/flower chain

-Visit a farm

-Go star gazing

-Plant a seed, grow a vegetable, and eat it