How to play

Key to good health: Joel Dempster and Dylon Smith goof around after school in the park in Wellington on Monday.

Project aims to push kids off the couch and rekindle the joy that can only be found outdoors

Have our kids forgotten how to play? Scott Wentworth thinks so. The landscape architect and contractor (pictured below) worries that the only exercise many of our kids get is structured by parents or their school—and each variety typically involves snack time.Too many kids have forgotten, or never learned, how to simply go outside to play, according to Wentworth.

Some theorize that the combination of smaller family size and two-income households that have defined the last few generations has led to a form of neglect of our children. Kids are warehoused for hours indoors where they are considered safe.

The numbers are horrifying. Childhood obesity has skyrocketed by 350 per cent since 1974. Canadian kids currently spend an average of six and a half hours per day sitting gazing at some form of electronic media. For many, the only sports they become adept at are ones they play with their thumbs.

The simple truth is that television and computers are encouraging our children to become increasingly sedentary and overweight. Wentworth is heading up a new community organization committed to heading off an epidemic of obesity by encouraging both young and old to get off the couch and out of doors. Wentworth announced the start-up of Come Alive Outdoors Prince Edward County at a committee of council last week.

Come Alive Outdoors is first and foremost an education and awareness campaign geared to kids and parents. In time, Wentworth hopes to help establish fitness trails around the County—to encourage both young and old to explore and play. The first is planned as a loop in Picton.

Founded by Ohio-based consulting group JP Horizons, Come Alive Outdoors was created in part as a challenge to other green industry professionals to play a part in encouraging folks off the couch.

Wentworth, celebrating the 20th anniversary of his firm Scott Wentworth Landscape Group, has ponied up $5,000 to kick start the initiative. These funds will be used to produce literature and broaden awareness of both the problem and the goals.

The program will have a fixed life—formally getting underway on Canada Day and wrapping up in about 18 months.

Wentworth says the Start-Up Committee must grow “to include all areas of the County and create broad representation of needs and opportunities.”

He asked the committee to declare Prince Edward County the first Come Alive Outside community in North America.

The committee agreed unanimously and will bring the matter to next week’s council meeting. One of the goals of the event is to teach children the lost art of play.Wentworth sees this as a way of unifying the diverse demographics of the County.

“Maybe this is the event that will bring seniors and young people together in one place,” said Wentworth.