Sask. families take on challenge to spend 1,000 hours outside in a year
CBC
No matter how cold it gets in Regina, Holly Crompton makes sure to leave the cozy warmth of her own home to spend time outside with her two sons.
Having a toddler and a newborn with nowhere to go during the long days of the COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns was challenging for Crompton. Taking up the goal of spending 1,000 hours outside in a year with them made it easier.
"Being creative in finding ways to get outside and do things with them was [helpful] for my sanity," Crompton said.
Crompton and her sons missed their goal by fewer than 100 hours the first year she tried the challenge.
In 2022, the trio reached 1,000 hours outside. They plan to do the same this year.
"In a place where we complain about it being cold and being too hot, it makes you appreciate the weather on the really nice days," Crompton said. "I hope that it would also bring my kids up to appreciate all the seasons and being outside."
Spending 1,000 hours a year outside is now a global movement. It all started with one family in southeastern Michigan back in 2011.
Ginny Yurich remembers struggling with the overwhelming needs of being a parent of three children under three years old. She was told bringing them outside could help — so she organized a picnic with another mother at a nearby park.
She was amazed by the results. The kids played the entire time and fell asleep on the drive home.
She later read that kids should be playing outside daily for three hours a day.
"That comes out to about 1,000 hours a year, but it also matches the average amount of screen time that American children get in a year at the time," Yurich said. "I came up with the idea to try to bring back balance to childhood between real and virtual."
Yurich noted that bad weather can make it hard to go outside, so it's important to make up for lost time on nice days.
The Yurich family, which now consists of five children, first completed the challenge in 2013 and they've done it every year since.
Yurich now runs an Instagram account with more than 500,000 followers from all over the world. It showcases how spending 1,000 hours outside can improve your life. She also runs a blog, wrote a book and hosts a podcast.
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