Parents in Mobile agree ‘National Play Outside Day’ should be celebrated everyday, not just once a month

By Jiani Navarro

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    MOBILE, Alabama (WALA) — As children become more preoccupied with digital devices, being able to put down their electronics and get outside has become more crucial than ever.

National play outside day is celebrated on the first Saturday of every month, but with the rain along the Gulf Coast, families took advantage of Sunday’s sunny skies to enjoy the outdoors.

National play outside day is a little reminder for parents to get their kids stretching those legs and expend all that energy, at least once a month.

“Them getting out of the house and away from video games and moving and just getting out in the sun is so crucial,” said Will Seymour, a father of two.

That is what motivates Will Seymour to bring his children to local parks, like Langan Park in Mobile, almost daily.

“We really just stress the importance of how fun it is to be outside. You know playing on your Xbox or iPad is fun, you know of course, but playing outside is equally just as fun,” said Seymour.

Scott Johnson said his children always jump for joy when it is time to go to the park, but believes more time outside is necessary.

According to statistics, a mere thirty percent of all children in America play outside.

“I think being outside should definitely be at least, if not daily, a weekly tradition for your family,” said Johnson.

Both fathers agree that having nice parks to take their families to is a big contributing factor to their kids’ time outdoors. They said city and county leaders are doing a great job renovating and improving local parks.

“Having these spaces to just let them run free is really important to me and it kind of gives them a little bit of what I had as a kid,” said Johnson.

“Like here at Langan Park, it’s such a beautiful area, it has so much potential and you know with the right help and the right people in charge, I believe we have, I think these areas can be really the best of the best in Alabama,” said Seymour.

Chickasabogue and Bayfront Park are both undergoing renovations and improvements right now. Both should be reopened within the next year.

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