Читать книгу A Spoonful of Sugar - Liz Fraser - Страница 34

From where I am sitting in Granny’s porch I can see the top of a mountain called Morrone, with its five cairns like pimples on the horizon. I remember being marched up to the top so many times I know every stone and patch of heather like the moles on my hands. And that was only a short walk. There was nothing at all unusual about our packing the tents and walking for nine hours a day into the mountains, anywhere from Scotland to the Indian Himalaya. Complain though I did – all the way up! – I always came bounding down the mountain pink-cheeked, invigorated, covered in muck and scratched till my legs bled – but I was full of health and life. And I was rarely ill.

Children need fresh air. It clears the head, works out some of their troubles and keeps them fit, which is a very good start to being healthy. Those who think fresh air is what they get by watching nature programmes and keeping fit means using a Nintendo Wii are missing a very important trick. Not convinced? This should help:

Time spent in green spaces is sometimes jokingly termed ‘vitamin G time’, and kids who get more of this have been found in some studies to have lower stress levels, more success in school, and fewer Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder symptoms.

Simply being in sunlight triggers the skin to make vitamin D, which could help to prevent cancer.

Being in the fresh air can turn grumpy children into happy and energetic ones remarkably quickly, and it also helps them to sleep better at night.

“As families are forced to tighten their spending, more people are looking to their local communities for outdoor activities and with a large variety of activities on, it’s easier than ever for everyone to get outdoors and get active. Outdoor adventure and activities have numerous benefits – including helping to tackle obesity and providing opportunities for young people from all walks of life to enjoy new experiences. This can be as much as climbing a mountain in the Lake District, to experiencing their first time camping at a music festival to playing football with their friends in the local park.”

Peter Duncan, former Blue Peter presenter and Chief Scout

Granny remembers spending the vast majority of her childhood in the fresh air, despite living in the often bitterly cold East of Scotland.

‘We were outside all the time! There was little to do indoors – we had no telly or radio or even many toys – so we played outside: making dens, skipping, throwing a ball. Simple things like that. Our mother would have to call us in for our supper.’

‘But it’s hard to get kids out nowadays. There are so many temptations – the computer is always there, even if it’s off; there’s the telly and they have games and toys coming out of their ears. Going outside is “boring” so they often tell me.’

‘Well, throw them out then!’