I am Adam, I am 11 and I am in 5th grade. 

One of the topics that I am most passionate about is getting kids outside. Being outside is very good for people, but throughout the world, a lot of people cannot, or do not, go outside enough. I think that being outside is so important every day, whether it is running around for a couple of hours, or just taking a short walk — it makes me feel so much better, it really lifts my mood and makes my day better. According to articles I read for this project, staying inside can lead to depression. Before I started this passion project, I barely even knew about that, so imagine how many other kids do not know about this either. Also, if you look at the research, there is a difference between kids who get outside and kids who do not.

According to my reading, kids who go outside become happier adults and have less anxiety, stress and depression. Therefore, providing kids opportunities to get outside and active should be a priority. Kids love playing in open spaces and fields full of green grass, there are so many things to do; football, soccer, baseball, basketball and kickball. Plus, fresh air is great for kids. All this while giving us plenty of Vitamin D when playing in the sun. Therefore, we need to provide opportunities for kids to be active outside. When I have friends over and we are playing in the backyard there are plenty of things we can do. My friends and I play at the park, and we have fun and run around. Kids who have space to play outdoors can roam freely around a park or playground to get the benefits of playing outside.

One of the ways kids can get active outside is to join recreational sports leagues. Just getting into soccer, baseball or basketball is something easy you can do. However, only 38 percent of kids between the ages of six and 18 play recreational or team sports. We need to realize most kids could be scared to try sports like that and they may think they are not athletic enough. But once they start playing, they are not just running around — they are also making new friends, and once you find a couple of friends who like that sport, you can call them and ask them to play. Sometimes, I’ll ask my friends if they want to head to the park and play a game of football, or if they want to head over to the basketball court and play a game of two on two or knockout. It is just a fun way to get outside. So, we need to encourage kids to give sports a try, with a focus on having fun and being healthy even if you are not the best athlete.

Another reason kids need encouragement to get outside could be it is hard to find places to play outside. If a kid lives in a big city, downtown buildings seem to be piled on top of each other. There is not much green grass or open space. There are more office buildings, shopping centers, car park garages and apartments. This means there is not a lot of space to run around and people always drive or take a taxi. There is rarely a field nearby or a local park nearby. Or it could be a long walk to an open space, and if the kid’s parents work, it may not be safe to walk there alone. These are problems for kids living in cities. Even though people in this situation can still take short walks, cities need to separate buildings further, and with that open space, add parks, fields or backyards. All a kid needs is open space to run around freely.

Now that we know how important it is for kids to get outside and be active, we need to let kids know how important getting outside and being active is for them. We need to ask communities to make this a priority, by either asking for donations of land or sports equipment.

Try to get outside! 

Thank you for your time,

Adam

Adam Levine is 11 years old and in 5th grade. He loves playing basketball, his favorite school subject is math, and this is his passion project!