Today's kids spend far less time outside than their parents did. For many of them, tweets are not bird calls but 140-character sound bites. Wii, the electronic game, has replaced "wheee!" — the squeal of delight.

 

Something important has been lost. That's why the National Wildlife Federation founded the "Green Hour" to help many families find it.

 

If you'd like to give your WorldShares points to helping the NWF encourage children and their families to spend more time outside, click on the "Buy Shares" button on this page.

 

The nature of childhood has changed: there's not much nature in it. American childhood has moved indoors during the last two decades, taking a mental and physical toll on today's kids. The negative impact of decreased time outdoors includes a doubling of the childhood obesity rate — accompanied by an incremental $100 billion cost to our health care system — as well as declining creativity, concentration and social skills. The NWF is working to change this.

 

To learn more about the important work of the NWF, visit its channel here at Mother Nature Network.