Fewer and fewer kids are getting out into nature, so take a trip this summer.

We sit still for a large part of our waking hours, and unfortunately this applies to children and adults alike. 22% of all adults in Sörmland sit for more than ten hours a day. Only seven percent of all 15-year-old girls in the county reach the recommendations for children and young people to do one hour of physical activity a day, according to statistics from the Public Health Agency.

Being in nature gets us moving more, increases our well-being, fights mental illness and reduces stress, something that many children in Sweden need today. Research also shows that children who come into contact with nature early seem to retain it as adults.

It is therefore worrying that the proportion of children who go out into nature every day in Sweden has fallen sharply in recent decades, from 78 percent in 2003 to 49 percent in 2019. In Sörmland, almost all children (97 percent) have access to green spaces within walking distance, statistics from the Public Health Agency show.

A new survey by Novus on behalf of the Heart and Lung Foundation shows that seven in ten adults (71 percent) are concerned that children and young people are too sedentary. Let’s use that concern as motivation to make sure kids get outdoors this summer!

The common law gives us unique opportunities to get out into nature. Be sure to use it – and teach the kids what it means. Here are five tips for fun summer outings for kids and adults in Sörmland: Bike to the lake and swim. Have dinner in the woods (don’t forget to take all the trash with you afterwards). Go hiking. Go canoeing. Try an activity with your local outdoor organization.

Both children and adults in Sweden spend 70 percent of their waking hours lying down or sitting. It’s a trend we need to help break. By making sure children and young people in Sörmland get out into nature this summer, you can help reverse this trend – and at the same time socialise and have fun together.