Bear Grylls wants children to learn forgotten skills
Today’s children are spending significantly less time than their parents did having adventures outside and, as a result, have missed out on learning the great outdoor skills that were once taken for granted.
Over half of UK adults played outside everyday when they were young, compared to just 24% of kids today; a decline of almost half.
Activities such as hide and seek, hill-rolling and climbing trees should transcend the generation gap but, according to new research by Persil small & mighty, one in 10 under tens never play outside and a third stay indoors and rely on ready-made fun instead of making their own.
After school play has evolved from riding a bike and playing sports, to playing computer games and watching TV - the most popular activities with children. Only 14% play sports and just one in ten regularly ride a bike. Favourite characters to role-play during playtime have also changed, with almost a third of parents claiming they enjoyed acting out Cowboys and Indians, compared to a third of children who now prefer to role-play television characters such as Spiderman, Ben 10 and Dora the Explorer.
When parents were young, they learned outdoor skills such as tying a rope swing and building a den, so Persil has teamed up with the ultimate face of outdoor adventure and dad of three, Bear Grylls, to inspire families to shake off the constraints of modern life and remember some simple outdoor pleasures. With that in mind, Persil and Bear have created a ‘Top Ten Things To Do Before You’re Ten’ handbook, designed to get kids playing, having fun and getting mucky.
Bear said: “It’s important to teach kids to enjoy some free and simple outdoor adventures. Soggy wellies, grassy knees and muddy hands should be part of growing up. Whether it’s using their imagination to play games outside or learning a new skill like building a den, I want more kids to enjoy outside activities and experience a bit of adventure.”
Bear Grylls’ Top Ten Things To Do Before You’re Ten
- Perfect the perfect hill roll
- Become a hide-and-seek champion
- Go sledging- on sand
- Build a den- indoors or out
- Build a rope swing
- Nurse that sting
- Try and count the stars
- Make a mud pie
- Make a compass
- Pick your own pudding
To download the Persil small & mighty and Bear Grylls ‘Top Ten Things To Do Before You’re Ten’ guide, and see more information on how to win an adventure day with Bear for your kids, visit www.persil.co.uk/bear.