Kids spend a paltry four hours a week outside

Kids are spending on average just 4 hours a week outdoors, compared to the 12 hours enjoyed by their parents’ generation when growing up, finds research released by npower Climate Cops.

Unsurprisingly, nine out of ten parents think they have a better appreciation of nature and the environment than their child as a result, which is supported by the finding that 13% of kids do not understand the process of growing

Top of the list of reasons preventing children from accessing the great outdoors is predictably the British weather but a significant fifth of the population attribute it to a lack of space in Britain’s increasingly overcrowded urban spaces and 6% say they are prevented from spending time outside as their parents don’t like them to get dirty. Computer games and television are also providing a distraction for some children, as 12% say that they can’t find anything fun to do outside.

To reverse this trend, and help kids understand the science of growing, npower Climate Cops has teamed up with mum-to-be Denise Van Outen to launch its Green Fingers campaign. The initiative aims to help primary school children develop ‘greener fingers’ by giving kids in urban schools access to growing spaces.

Ten urban schools will have an area of their school developed by environmental regeneration charity Groundwork UK into a ‘greener learning space’ worth £5,000.   This could be anything from a window box to a roof allotment, working with even the smallest urban spaces to create something for kids to nurture, grow and learn from.

Clare McDougall, Head of npower's Climate Cops comments: “According to our research 27% of parents spend no time at all outdoors with their kids. Getting outdoors and seeing how plants grow is the first step kids can take in learning about nature and how valuable it is.  We know kids love being outdoors, but when they live in urban areas they don’t always get the chance.  Through the Climate Cops Green Fingers programme, we aim to teach kids about the science of growing.”

npower Climate Cops Green Fingers hopes to transform areas of grey built-up school environments into spaces that allow the children’s eco- imaginations to bloom.  As part of npower’s Climate Cops environmental education programme, this living outdoor classroom aims to help pupils learn about energy through the science of gardening in a fun way.