MAINE–(ENEWSPF)–March 5, 2012. SafeLawns 2.0 officially begins today as we add the element of children’s outdoor play to our “Lawn Games for LIfe” campaign. As a father of two daughters, ages 5 and 2, I’m a daily witness to their urge to nestle on the couch in front of the TV. I’m both concerned and proudly astounded by their dexterity on the iPhones and IPads.
I feel it’s my job to make sure they find a balance in their life that includes ample time outdoors.
So with the launch of the book, Tag, Toss & Run: 40 Classic Lawn Games, as well as the release of this companion video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XawczJa9nI0), we’ll be actively talking about outdoor play — the context of toxin-free environments.
We’re organizing Lawn Games for Life festivals, with events scheduled already for Atlanta (April 14), Philadelphia (April 27), and Northhamption, Mass. (May 12). We’re at flower shows beginning tonight (7 p.m.) in Philly, followed by Portland, Maine, (March 10 at 10:30 a.m.), Philly (March 11 at 1 p.m.), and Boston (March 18 at 3:30 p.m.).
We’re even signed up for the Martha Stewart Living show on the Hallmark Channel on April 10 at 10 a.m.
The lead message is how much fun you can have outside playing all the great games we enjoyed as children, as well as many games that are likely new to you and your family depending on where you’ve lived. Sociologists tell us that outdoor play is essential for well-rounded physical and intellectual growth — and that outdoor play can never be replaced by the Ouis and other electronic games that dominate today’s childhood.
The statistics are startling, according to the Centers for Disease Control:
Approximately 17% (or 12.5 million) of children and adolescents aged 2—19 years are obese and roughly one-third of children of that age group are overweight.
Since 1980, obesity prevalence among children and adolescents has almost tripled.
Those facts, coupled with indisputable data that proves exposure to pesticides and other lawn and garden toxins, make it especially important to carry along the SafeLawns core message of pesticide reduction to schools, communities and North America at large.
Please help us spread the word!
Source: www.safelawns.org
