Sweden

A couple of weeks ago, I took a short trip to Stockholm, Sweden. Polarn O. Pyret knew I was a fan, so they invited me and Jordan to visit their headquarters and get a behind-the-scenes look. I was impressed. And I want to tell you all about it. But before I do, we need to talk about Sweden.

First off: Gorgeous. The city was gorgeous. The people were gorgeous. Super model gorgeous.

Second. My impression is that the entire country is like one big Waldorf school. Very wholesome, with lots of time spent outdoors. People work hard and enjoy their leisure time. The Swedes we chatted with joked about raising their kids like Pippi Longstocking — with lots of play and independence.

Third. They do childhood differently than we do in the states. So different. Every single day, children spend hours outside. Every single day without exception. Rain, snow, below zero temperatures. This is not me exaggerating. It’s the real deal. Every. Single. Day.

There are preschools that don’t even have a building! They are held entirely out of doors. From drop-off to pick-up. Snack time, play time, learning time all happen outside. And these preschools are not for the fringe thinkers, these are one of several regular options that parents pick from. Are you dying?!

Also. Babies in Sweden nap outside. All naps are outside. The babies are bundled up, put in the stroller and rolled out to the porch where they nap for hours at a time — in every kind of weather. Now are you dying?!!!

Let’s also remember, that Sweden is super far north. Like moose north. It’s cold up there!

So how do they do it? Well, every person I talked to said it was all about the gear. In fact, they have a Swedish saying that roughly translates to: There is no bad weather, just bad clothing. They are super serious about their cold weather wear.

This is getting long, so I’ll follow up with a post about the actual visit to the Polarn O. Pyret headquarters later on. In the meantime, I’d love your thoughts. What’s your take on outdoor time every day? Would you be up for it? Would your kids?

P.S. — How can you not love a country that came up with H&M, Ikea and Hasbeens? I love the Swedish appreciation for design! I snapped these photos at stores, hotels — even the airport.

220 thoughts on “Sweden”

  1. Very inspiring and fascinating post! One of the reasons I love camping is because sleeping outdoors with fresh air and lovely sounds is so wonderful and relaxing: why wouldn’t it be the same for a baby?

    This is seriously life changing for me. I feel so inspired to change my routine with the kids to get them outside more – no more rushing home for naps, maybe just stay outside? I’m thinking a goal is in order – to try and spend an entire day outside (and I have 3 kids under 3, a two-year-old with an afternoon nap and a 3 month old newborn).

    Such a wonderful post, fresh air here I come!

  2. Outdoor time, every day? Ab-so-lutely. We try to do as much as we can outside and we’ve got a similar climate here in northern Michigan to Sweden. No naps for us outside these days, but when Wren was a baby? Lots and lots!

    Play on, kids, play on!

  3. I think I need to move to Sweden! My philosophy is life is better when it is spent outdoors! When I had my youngest (33 weeks preemie), we had to stay inside away from people almost the WHOLE winter (which is a long time in Utah-until May). It drove us all mad. I actually got quite the case of depression because i was away from people and always inside.
    My girls will play for hours outside. Even if I sit on a chair outside and just enjoy the air I feel better.
    Just remember your sunblock! And lots of water.

  4. Hello Gabrielle,
    In Friesland, the most northern part of the Netherlands, babies take naps outside as well. They sleep in special babycots, called Lutje Potje. Check google for some lovely images of a Lutje Potje. They are realy handy and yes, we in Holland think as well that it´s beneficial for the baby´s health. Once at school, kids do have to play outside obligatory. And when my kids come home from school or daycare, their biggest joy is being able and allowed to play outside: they just grab a bike (we have so many!) and off they go. Lovely! Love, Ilse

    1. So funny–I googled it, and the images that came up look like little chicken coops for kids! But functionally, it seems a lot like a playpen, right? We take our playpen outside for the baby to sleep and nap in on nice days when we are working in the garden. The main issue is finding a bit of shade so the baby doesn’t get sunburned–I guess that’s one advantage of the lutje potje, since they all seem to have roofs.

  5. Hi hi, this post made me giggle :)

    I’m from Norway (next door neighbour to Sweden) and I guess there are a lot of similarities between the two countries. My daughters (age 1 and 5) spend most of their days outside. The secret during the winter months is simple: all wool underwear. My youngest one is always taking her nap outside (unless it’s below 5 degrees fahrenheit). I honestly don’t know how I would get her to sleep inside ;)

    When it comes to maternity leave, I believe we’re even better off than the Swedes. My husband and I have the right to a 52 weeks leave. 10 of these weeks are reserved dad. We’re even thinking about splitting the leave in two equal parts (one for mum and one for dad), like they do it in Island. After my leave is done, I’m entitled to one year of unpaid leave (if I want to), and my job would still be the same when I come back.

    But you have to remember that we pay for all this. The taxes are much higher than in the US and welfare system is more extensive. Norway’s had a social democratic government more or less since the Second World War. When people in the States described Obama as a socialist, and meant it in a bad way, we were smiling ;)

    Puh – I feel like I have a lot more to say on the subject, but I’ll leave it there. Looking forward to reading more about your stay in Stockholm, and off course – you (and your family) are welcome to Norway any time!

    1. In Sweden we have 480 days payed parental leave, almost 70 weeks (the government pays). For 90 of the days you get 180 SEK and the other 390 you get 80 % of your last salary. You can share days between the parents as you want (but at least 60 days is for one of the parents). The more equal you stay home, the more you get back on your taxes afterwords (maximun 10 000 SEK). We have very high taxes, as Bente writes, but I am glad to pay for this.

      You have the right to stay home with your child in Sweden 18 mouths from work and until the child is 8yo you don’t have to work full time. Your employer can’t say no (this is of course for both mother and father):

      http://abcnews.go.com/Nightline/video/swedens-paternity-leave-11923331

      One thing I envy Norway is the maternity-health-care. It’s good in Sweden as well, but in Noway it is outstanding from what I hear.

      And yes. We do love clothes from P.O.P (but they are quite expensive, their are a lot of cheaper alternatives). I am fortunate enough to have a lot of hand-me-down-clothes for my children from reletives from the brand P.O.P.

      Even if I’m proud of the swedish out-door-living, I must say that there are a lot of parents in Sweden who doesn’t live like this. People are getting more and more afraid of leaving their kids in their prams outside. It depends on if you live in an apartment or in a house. If it’s in a small village or in a bigger town. But the preeschool spend a lot of time outside regardless of their location.

      Ooops, this is a long enough comment by now.

  6. My grandparents served two missions at the Sweden temple, and we were lucky enough to get to visit them while they were there. Sweden is such an amazing country, just like you said! The country is beautiful, the people are beautiful, everything is clean, everyone is friendly! My grandpa is 100% Norwegian, and I’ve always been so thrilled to have Scandinavian heritage.

    You probably already know about this blog, but I randomly discovered it last week and sat in bed for an hour very late at night reading old posts on my iphone: http://littlescandinavian.com/. It is so fun!

  7. Growing up in rural Nova Scotia, we spent hours outside — and often ate and slept outside in the warmer months. School was mostly inside, but there was much more done outside, like gym and mandatory play time, than there seems to be now.

    Sweden sounds beautiful with a lot of fabulous practices we could stand to imitate. I think their ban on homeschooling is unfortunate, though. Families are not allowed to make up their own minds about how they want their children to be educated.

  8. I feel like I’ve experienced a huge shift while reading this post. I know outside time is important and my kids do get it everyday but I feel like the “norm” is inside and outside time is planned and scheduled. I think this summer I am going to work on it being the other way around!

  9. My daughter attends a nature preschool here in the midwest. Outdoors all afternoon, even in the winter. We do lots of laundry due to all the exposure to the snow, rain, mud, etc. She has two complete sets of everything from mittens to snow boots to rain pants.

    In the summer both kids attend day camp that is outdoors the entire day. My son has attended for 5 summers now and is pretty much inside only to sleep in the summer. Bugs are the only drawback. The freckles and bug bites compete to cover the most surface area.

  10. yes!!! i love the swedish culture too!
    my husband’s cousin married a swede and so i know a little bit about swedish people.
    they are lovely, and warm and down to earth.
    and yeah, those blonde locks definitely make them all so STUNNING!
    wow!
    anyhow, we live in the cold north as well (manitoba, canada) and they came to visit us a few years back.
    they had their first baby along and he wasn’t even 1 year yet.
    it was december and very frigid cold.
    probably about -25 celsius (that’s 13 BELOW, american girls) at least.
    well, how surprised was i when they put the baby out in the stroller OUTSIDE?!?!
    yeah, i was pretty shocked.
    i thought, “holy moly… your baby is gonna FREEZE out there!!!”
    then i was told that it’s the norm.
    all babies… napping outdoors, every day, no matter the weather.
    moms will be having coffee inside a cafe and their babes are all wrapped up in their prams sleeping away outside.
    very interesting… and super cool, in my opinion.
    no thoughts of someone stealing their baby.
    it was pretty awesome hearing about how they do things over there.
    so glad you enjoyed your visit.
    i would love to head out there one time to visit our cousins!

  11. How inspiring!
    My mom is always telling me to take the babies out, no matter what the weather. I have gotten better about going out in the rain (my 2 yo loves it!).
    This post has motivated me to keep my children out all day today (except naps…I don’t think my 2 yo would ever sleep!).

  12. I’ve visited twice and loved it. I can’t wait to take my kids, especially since we have family there.

    As a design person, you must have been in heaven. We visited in 1989 with my grandparents and my grandmother couldn’t stop talking about how clever the toilet paper holders were with their open ends (so no excuses for not putting the roll on). My grandfather loved the low-flish toilets.

    I work with a company here who has a lot of Swedish inpats. They have to instruct the new parents not to leave napping babies in a stroller on the sidewalk in the US. Love the idea of outside naps and preschool.

  13. For me it’s really suprising to read that all these things are new and suprising for you. Your post really made me smile!
    I’m from Germany and when I was a kid it was absolutley normal to play outside or to have my own free- and playtime. Maybe 1-2 appointments per week and all days left playing at the playground or in the park around the corner. And I guess it’s unbelievable for you that I walked to elementary school everyday (summer or winter) with my little classmate but without parents. It was a walk of half an hour right through the city center. Most fun was winter with our overall (like the astronauts) and lots of snowballs ;)
    I hope you and your kids take some of these things back to the US and get to learn more corners of europe – there’s so much to discover.

  14. I LOVE the idea of kids being outdoors everyday–even if it’s just for a little while. I raised my six children in sunny northern California and they literally spent more time outdoors than indoors. But of course we had great weather. I think their childhood was idealistically wonderful! I give credit to the great outdoors.

    I’m not sure how I feel about *entirely* outdoor pre-schools in cold Sweden. :)

  15. I just had to comment on this…
    My mom (who is from Scotland) always had my siblings and me nap outside when we were babies. She would bundle us up (no matter how snowy and cold) and put us in our carriage stroller where we would nap for hours. She said we were always snug and warm and had rosy cheeks resembling Scottish –(and Swedish) children. To this day, I can’t sleep without a window cracked to let in fresh air. However, my mom’s mothering techniques were certainly questioned in our neighborhood … the neighbors thought she was abusing us — first with her insistence upon breastfeeding us when bottles were thought to be superior and then to make us nap outside. I’m proud of her for sticking to her beliefs and not being swayed by the times! Bravo Mom!

  16. Ginavide/ Although, i think you haven’t made a post I don’t enjoy, this discussion on Sweden is one I couldn’t wait to see. One, because of the lovely opportunity to meet you here and two, because I’m an Amercian expat living in Stockholm for longer than I ever imagined. Yes, all three of my kids slept outside in their buggies. And our buggy was much more important than our car. Yes, I return home to the cold north of the US, in the winter, and my children are the rugged cousins playing outside in the blizzards because they’re daily wear is ready to go; ready for sub sub zero; although, I do draw the line at taking a baby buggy iceskating. Yes! It’s common place! Baby buggies out on frozen lakes. I’m sad that I found this well beyond today’s bedtime. It’s really fun to read and see so many iteresting reactions. It is definitely a land with the Pippi spirit.

  17. What fun little tidbits you shared about Sweden! My aunt lives in Sweden, and I visited her once when I was 16. I remember marveling at how clean, crisp and tidy everything looked.

    About the outside sleeping… I was born in Slovakia (Czechoslovakia at that time), and my mom had me sleep on the balcony every single day. There are pictures of me super bundled up, in my carriage, in the snow on the balcony. When I went back this summer, my cousin did the same thing with her kids. It makes such good sense in small communist block apartments when there are other (loud) children in the household. And it’s a good way to get some fresh air for the kiddos.

  18. Me and my family are doing a house swap to Gothenberg this July and I can not wait to get there. Every since I heard about the islands off the coast that you can visit by ferry and possibly be the only people on it I was hooked! I also can’t wait to see the shops!!

  19. Ooh, I am dying! I’m also inspired – to go out, to encourage the Pippi spirit, and definitely to take a nap. =)

  20. oooh, i love this post. thank you so much for educating me a little about the Swedish culture. I love that story about the preschools being held ALL DAY outside. FASCINATING.

  21. In Australia babies rarely nap in the their prams outside. but this kinda makes sense in a – if the baby sleeps outside in the pram, it can sleep ANYWHERE and doesnt mean you need to be confined to your house. I find people here are very strict about their baby’s nap time in their own bed and it means this friend cant leave house at 10am or this friend must be home by 12 etc that it does impact YOUR social life/outings.

    My neighbour is from switzerland and I always feel so inferior to her way of thinking!! She is ALWAYS outside. either by the pool, gardening, woodworking (yes a single mum who makes changes to her house, bricklaying, builds beds, furniture etc – very do it yourself type of person) walks her dog or goes for a walk 2-3 times a day, makes her daughter play outside all the time, doesnt let her child watch tv all that much. Goes camping several times a year, she is 50 and rides a bike and ripstick! several times a week.

    we eat dinner early and while I’m putting my kids to bed, she is off in the dark with her daughter taking their nightly stroll!! Sometimes I feel bad, but then I reason I have a lot more children than her.

    Anyway I do think they do alot of things right in europe.

  22. I loved Stockholm = we went in the summer and the water was sparkling and as you say the people were beautiful – as 2 single females we enjoyed spotting all the men we would like to marry ;-)

    My favourite place was the Vasa Museum – amazing – but we also took a trip to the coast to attend a friend’s wedding and that was super fun! From making the flowers/table decorations to the after dinner home made entertainment!

  23. We must be a little bit Swedish a didn’t realize it! Our boys are literally outside for hours every single day – freezing or blazing – but I have to admit we live in California. ;)

  24. I’m intrigued. I think American children are the complete opposite – spending far too much time indoors. I’m not sure I’d be completely on board (I like my children tucked away in their rooms at naptime) but I love the idea of children truly being children – exploring, enjoying nature, and staying far away from anything that requires a plug.

  25. Oh – if we let our babies nap outside where I live, they would get eaten by javelinas (no joke)! They usually run around after dark, but occasionally you will see them out at around 4 p.m. or late in the morning around 9 a.m. Love this post, though! It’s great to know that there are different ways to parent and it’s okay!

  26. Last winter was our first in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. I was TERRIFIED because it gets so cold here, but with the proper gear, it’s SO MUCH FUN to play outside in the winter! Good gear makes life a lot more fun.

  27. I love this post! And the comments are fascinating.

    At most schools where we live (in Washington DC), kids are not allowed to go outside for recess if it’s below 32 degrees! CRAZY! In the winter, it’s USUALLY below 32!

    My youngest though, goes to a preschool where they are outside every single day for half the day. It’s wonderful! We need to put the “garden” back in “kindergarten” … and every other grade as well!

      1. Yes, my kids’ daycare has a terrible outdoor policy. Essentially, they only want to take the little kids outside if it’s between 60 and 80 degrees and sunny. Um, that’s like 12 days a year where we live. I have spoken with the administrators numerous times about this, but they won’t budge, so we’re switching schools!

  28. We’re heading into Winter in Australia so this post was particularly relevant for me. Recently, I’ve been speaking with many mothers about how the colder weather has been limiting activities we can do with our children. This post has made me realise it’s probably our perceptions that are limiting us! Cold weather in Australia would probably be considered warm in many other countries.
    The one difference is that Australia is not set up for cold weather. Our houses, schools and clothes don’t really support living with low temperatures, which makes everything feel colder.

  29. I grew up in Sweden (moved to the US when I was 11) and then in 2009 my husband, 18 month old son and I moved back just for 7 months to go to school. I grew up even farther north than Stockholm- and this is the complete norm. Except they don’t do it when it’s minus zero. At least not at daycares/preschools etc. The way they described it at our son’s daycare was if it was in the positives they slept outside. And in the 7 months we were there, my son slept awesome (he was only there two days a week though) and not once did he come down with a cold. I can’t say the same thing for daycares in the US- I don’t think your kid can make it through the winter in preschool or daycare or even elem. school with out even getting a cold, so I’m all for it! In fact, I wrote a blog post about this a while back if you want to check it out!

    http://youngmammatales.blogspot.com/2010/06/baby-feverand-crazy-thing-i-intend-to.html

  30. This brought back some memories for me. My grandmother was from Norway and told me that Norwegian babies are put in sunny rooms in the hospital for some time every day. When we were babies, we had a bunting from Norway made of wide-wale corduroy and lined in sheepskin and we were toasty warm all winter. When my daughter was born in February my grandmother bundled her up and took her for walks all the time.

  31. We are outside every single day. This is mostly because I can’t stand to be holed up in the house and because I don’t allow baseball practice inside. We do tend to shorten it up on super cold or super muggy days. But mostly we stick it out, bug bites and all. Can’t wait to hear more about Sweden. I would looove to be visiting all the places that you are. Maybe someday.

  32. so i’m super curious about the temps indoor- do they use heat inside so you have to take all your layers off every time you enter a building or do they keep indoor temps pretty low

    1. Haha, I was waiting for this! I’ve lived in the US and in France and never been so cold in my life – INDOORS, that is. Since temperatures in Sweden tend to be very low in winter, houses are very well equipped for the cold. So it’s usually very nice and warm indoors, and you do have to take everything off when entering a building. But we’re used to it ;) And trust me, when it’s cold outside nothing feels better than stripping off the winter gear and realizing it’s nice and warm inside. Phew.

      /Anna in Stockholm

  33. I grew up in Nova Scotia, Canada, and now live in Ontario, Canada. My siblings and I grew up napping outside, even my brothers who were born in Quebec, one of the colder provinces. I also put my kids in the stroller (pram) outside in the back yard to nap. I think fresh air is great for kids and adults alike. Today, our houses are shut up so tight that they don’t breathe, sometimes causing indoor air quality problems because there is no circulation.

    I haven’t been to Sweden but I have been to Denmark and loved it! I dream of going back. The president of the company I work for is from Sweden and he always jokes that he feels like an honourary Canadian because of all the similarities.

  34. “This is getting kind of long” wait, what?? I wanted to hear more! I’m Finnish so I’m really interested in all things Scandinavian. I had heard a rumor in years past that people in Finland put their babies outside to nap, it must be true. I think it is so important to get outside each and every day (and I’m guilty of staying inside on some days). As a kid, I spent the majority of my days outdoors exploring, I want the same for my kids. I hope that if they grow up with a very active lifestyle, that will continue throughout their lifetime!

  35. oh i’m so inspired to get better winter clothes. :) i live in chicago and would love to embrace the winters with my children. i can already feel the difference it would make for the whole family if we spent more time outdoors. thanks!

  36. Hooray for Sweden! I am Swedish and visited Stockholm for the first time two years ago. I found myself snapping photos of traffic signs and street lamps because they were all so beautiful and different. I can’t wait to hear all about Polarn O. Pyret!!!

  37. me wish i was you right now!!! How fun! Outside time when it is not raining is great. We get home from school. I say, go outside and get your energy out for 10 minutes then do your homework then you can play some more until dinner.

  38. I am ALL for naps outdoors – that sounds heavenly, if you have the right gear. Sweden sounds perfect for raising kids – it sounds like they are doing something right there…

  39. oh I love these ideals too but I wish there wasn’t a flip side that I didn’t so much agree with in the subtleties of Swedish child-rearing, etc. i guess don’t throw the baby out with the bath water right!

  40. I disappear in winter. Really. And I’m just from NJ! LOL I did vow this year to get better gear to make going outdoors in the winter months easier. Would love a post on what kind of gear they use. I’m aiming to be proactive and get boots, snow suits and all that good stuff early, early on. Thanks for sharing!

  41. This is just so interesting that I’m compelled to comment. It’s really the complete opposite here in Malaysia. When my baby was born we were never outside for the first month except to go for doctor’s visits. For the mothers is a period of “confinement” and babies in general are kept indoors as much as possible. By the second month I was going batty and wanted to take her for daily walks, but only super shorts ones, like 10 minutes. And the minute it even looked like rain I’d have to run back home. She’s 11 months now but it’s unthinkable to take you baby out if it’s even drizzling outside – and we have a tropical climate! If I ever let my baby sleep outside I think my mum/mum in law/grandma/the neighbours etc, would die of shock. I do think she spends way too much times indoors; the nanny would never ever consider taking her outside during the day either because then it would be too hot.

    Different perspectives for sure.

      1. That certainly would be interesting. I am rather surprised that there are parts of the world where you keep the kids indoors… We seem to have the same approach in Germany as the Swedes, the kids are usually very well equipped with layer-wear and good shoes (!) for wet and cold days (and UV-protection for long, sunny summer days, too).

        My three children are really into running, climbing and yelling. They would drive me nuts, if they were not playing outside as much as possible. And yes, they had their baby naps outside at every time of the year too, snuggled up in wool and a sheepskin.

  42. My cousin lived in Oslo for a couple of years while working for the U.S. State Dept. and told me about the outdoor preschools–she walked by them on her way to work. Kids are bundled up in pretty intense snowsuits. Love it. She adored Norway and was so sad to leave.

    I grew up on a quiet street in an L.A. suburb and definitely spent lots of (unsupervised) time outside. In fact I can remember my sister and I lying down in the middle of the road waiting for cars to come… we could lie there for what seemed like hours before having to quickly get up and move out of the way of oncoming traffic. Kind of horrifying to think we did that.

    The one bad thing about L.A. summers in the ’80s and early ’90s was the smog. I actually thought it was normal that it hurt a little to breathe after an entire day in the pool. Yikes again. It isn’t so bad there anymore, fortunately. And we lived close enough to the beach that we could escape the smog pretty often.

    I want to spend a lot more time outside this summer with my kids. A few potential problems: we live in northern VA where it is very humid with lots of trees, so mosquitoes and ticks are a reality. The other thing is that baby #3 is due in June and I get nervous about overheating/heat rash/bugs getting to the baby. But I think I am going to make it a goal to spend more time outside anyway–with lots of Deet on my older kids because that’s the way I roll, have never found a non-Deet bug repellent that actually repelled bugs–and just keep the baby close to make sure he/she doesn’t get too bitten or too hot.

    Anyway, random thoughts. It was fun to read this post and the comments.

  43. Oh yes and don’t get me started on my local schools’ practice of keeping kids inside during “bad weather” which really means any time the weather isn’t perfect. Someone else from DC mentioned this. It drives me nuts! I am certain it has to do with liability since, for instance, it gets icy here in winter. Maybe it has something to do with not everyone at the public school having the right winter gear. But really–at my son’s preschool they went outside every day unless it was ridiculously, dangerously icy (which maybe happened once or twice all winter since on most icy or snowy days, school is closed here anyway!). Once I got my first taste of the public schools’ policies I was very disappointed. They get “gym time” if they don’t go to the playground but it is so not the same.

  44. I got homesick reading your post – I’m from Finland and currently living in Phoenix. I like Stockholm a lot, I’ve spent a lot of time there. I miss being outside with kids, we can’t do that much longer here as it is getting too hot. But I remember when we moved here in January me and my 2-year-old were the only ones in our nearby park before noon. I was talking about this to our music class teacher and she said it is probably still too cold for most people. And it was the loveliest weather! :) We are used to cold weather and I miss the different seasons, here it feels like one long summer for me. But it has also been nice to skip the wool underwear and overalls for at least one winter. I like many things in the U.S. but we will move back home latest when our firstborn starts school.

  45. I keep thinking you could get turned in for child endangerment in the US for putting a little baby outside in all weather. And that’s really too bad.
    My kids love to be outside, but it takes all sorts of effort on my part to either bundle and help with boots or slather with sunscreen and that gets really time consuming with 4 kids – granted the older ones can do most of it themselves. They always want to eat out there, I guess I should let them. I can eat inside where it’s not so cold and windy!

    1. I also have to say – we live on a farm and everyone gets so filthy it starts to drive me crazy and I’m washing coats all the time!

  46. I love this. I have always thought it was ideal for kids to spend most of their day outside, but that may be because my kids both went to a Waldorf preschool. Both of their schools ask for kids to come in snow gear in the winter and sun gear in the summer. I love knowing that my toddler will spend her time digging, running, swinging, gardening, and not watching TV. I will admit, however, that I get really bored if I try to spend the whole day outside with her :). Here’s a good site if you want to learn about the health and developmental benefits of outdoor play http://www.childrenandnature.org/research/

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