September 24th is “Worldwide Day of Play”. Kids and families are encouraged to play outside! It’s Nickelodeon’s 8th Annual Worldwide Day of Play and each year is more successful in their attempt to create awareness of the benefits of outdoor play. Benefits like improved health, self-esteem, and well-being. So join me and take the Clorox2® Play 2Day pledge to play outside! It’s easy and you are entered to win a trip to Yosemite Park! Wouldn’t that be fun? The entry form asks how many hours of outdoor play you pledge for each child. I pledged 14 (2 hours a day), but I think that’s may be kind of low. Weekends definitely have more. I’m going to start keeping track, just to see how long we really do spend outdoors. What will you pledge?
Some of my favorite things about playing outside are:
Learning to appreciate nature. The great outdoors is amazingly beautiful. Wherever you live, whether it’s mountainous or flat; cold or hot; nature is beautiful. I love the woods. Around us, the seasons change, and it is amazing to see what the woods look like in spring, summer, fall and winter. Hiking is a great exercise and gives you more chances to talk. For some reason, it’s easier to approach big topics, like life goals, when you are faced with the greatness of nature. The “little things” tend to fall away and leave room for discussing the big, important things. And your patience increases when you are not watching a clock, timing this and that.
Enjoying the silence. Until you experience “unplugging”, you don’t realize how much buzz and noise there is from the things in your home. With your family, you’ll find that the silence is cozy and presents opportunities for you and your children to talk – really talk. And did you ever notice that when you turn off the electronics, giggles sound louder and sweeter? I’ve tried letting the silence flow and waiting for Rosie to tell me about school, rather than asking her specific questions. I like that because then she tells me whatever is most important to her and what is “at the top of her mind”.
Making friends. Whenever we play outside or go to a local park, we seem to make friends! Neighbors come over to join in a game of basketball. Kids riding by on their bikes stop by to play a game with us or color with sidewalk chalk. At a park, kids playing on a swing set become bffs – at least for the day! Rosie loves to slide and swing. We don’t have a playset in our yard, so it’s a special treat to go to a neighbor’s or to a local park.
Make it a point to remember September 24th is “Worldwide Day of Play”.  So join me and take the Clorox2® Play 2Day pledge to play outside! Get out there and HAVE FUN :)
About Clorox2® Stain Fighter & Color Booster:
Getting dirty is much more fun when it’s easy to get clean. When the outdoor fun is finished, Clorox2® Stain Fighter & Color Booster gets out the tough stains, so your kids can take part in healthy fun and get dirty over and over again.
About Clorox:
The Clorox Company is a leading manufacturer and marketer of consumer products with 8,100 employees and fiscal year 2011 revenues of $5.2 billion. Clorox markets some of consumers’ most trusted and recognized brand names, including its namesake bleach and cleaning products, Green Works® naturally derived home care products, Pine-Sol® cleaners, Poett® home care products, Fresh Step® cat litter, Kingsford® charcoal, Hidden Valley® and K C Masterpiece® dressings and sauces, Brita® water-filtration products, Glad® bags, wraps and containers, and Burt’s Bees® natural personal care products. Nearly 90 percent of Clorox Company brands hold the No. 1 or No. 2 market share positions in their categories. The company’s products are manufactured in more than two dozen countries and sold in more than 100 countries. Clorox is committed to making a positive difference in the communities where its employees work and live. Founded in 1980, The Clorox Company Foundation has awarded cash grants totaling more than $84 million to nonprofit organizations, schools and colleges. In fiscal year 2011 alone, the foundation awarded $4 million in cash grants, and Clorox made product donations valued at $13 million. For more information about Clorox, visit www.TheCloroxCompany.com.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I wrote this blog post while participating in the SocialMoms and Clorox2® blogging program, for a gift card worth $40. For more information on how you can participate, click here http://clorox2.socialmoms.com/about.