Idaho Statesman By Zimo - Edition Date: 07/08/07
*MY NOTE: He has some great ideas - I would add TAKE THEM PADDLING!

Its been a busy summer. I have two new grandkids in a month and one on the way in September.
Im not bragging or anything. Well, maybe just a little. Im going from one grandchild last spring to four by next falls steelhead season.
It got me to thinking, especially as I sat in the hospital this week waiting for the good news about the arrival of my granddaughter. I thought about kids and the outdoors.
I grew up with a fishing rod in my hands. I grew up exploring the woods, walking mile after mile, flushing grouse, riding bikes down dirt roads, and eating fresh berries.
My dad had me out fishing when I was slightly taller than the fish we were catching. I remember wed be fitted with life jackets and thrown off the boat so that we would get used to being in water.
While I was in the waiting room, I read something in Idaho Watchable Wildlifes -Windows to Wildlife- that was disturbing. It said kids are too plugged in.
Theyre not unplugged and just goofing around in the outdoors.
The report said that the average child, 6 to 11 years old, now spends an average of 30 hours per week looking at television or at a computer screen.
Thats not healthy. Kids need to be outdoors for physical and mental health.
Kids spend 6.5 hours each day using electronic equipment in their free time, according to a Kaiser Family Foundation study.
My kids grew up in a canoe trolling for trout on Sagehen and Herrick reservoirs.
They grew up in the backyard picking up worms, watching lady bugs and trying to catch butterflies.
The campouts and hikes got them face-to-face with nature.
Sure, as adults today they have to be plugged in, but they also appreciate being unplugged and getting outdoors. Its a priority in their lives, and it will be in the lives of my grandkids.
The words of author Richard Louv really hit home. Louv wrote the book, -Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children From Nature Deficit Disorder.-
Todays kids arent getting outside. When you really think about it, you have to get out in nature to keep your sanity, even if its just a walk in the park to watch ducks glide in for a landing.
Its tough today. More households have a single parent or two parents working full time and they dont have much time to get their kids outdoors.
But were lucky here in Boise and the Treasure Valley. The Greenbelt and the Foothills are just minutes away, and those natural areas provide much-needed therapy.
Here are some easy ways to get your kids a dose of the outdoors:
-Go out in the backyard at night, lie down on a blanket and look at the moon and the stars. Dont forget the mosquito repellent.
While youre out there listen to the sounds of the night, like the wind rustling leaves and the crickets. Birds that are roosting in nearby trees may squawk or flitter.
-Take a walk along the Boise Greenbelt. We are so lucky to have it. There is so much to see, and it can be done in a short afternoon or evening. Do a different section of the Greenbelt each week.
-Sit on a bench near one of the ponds along the Greenbelt. The birds and fish surfacing on the water will keep you answering questions for a long time.
-Stop by the MK Nature Center behind the Idaho Department of Fish and Game building, 600 S. Walnut St. There is more going on at the nature center as far as fish and wildlife than anywhere in town. And theyve got all the answers to the million questions youre likely to get from your kids at the visitors center.
-If you have more time, drive up to Bogus Basin and take a walk. Take in the magnificent scent of the pine forest and wildflowers.
Hug a ponderosa pine tree before you come home.
-Drive to a small mountain stream (about knee deep) Put your lawn chair in the stream and sit down and relax. Watch your kids play in the water and build dams or dig in the sand. Great for hot weather. Again, wear life jackets where appropriate.
-Take binoculars wherever you go. Kids love binoculars and focusing on everything from dragonflies to beetles.
-Wade in the shallows of the Boise River and look for bugs and other stuff on underwater rocks and vegetation on the banks. Dont forget to wear life vests.
-Hike to the top of Camels Back Park and just sit there. Look at the busy city. Then turn and look at the mountains. Tell your kids about the importance of solitude in the mountains.
You can bet Im going to take my grandkids to the solitude of the mountains.