Bear Grylls is known not only for his amazing survival skills but for his passion for the great outdoors, which is why I was pleased to see his new collaboration with Persil, after all as
Bear Grylls is known not only for his amazing survival skills but for his passion for the great outdoors, which is why I was pleased to see his new collaboration with Persil, after all as a parent I know the importance of being able to get those muddy clothes clean! But the initive doesn’t just stop there, some fantastic research has gone on and found unsurpisingly that todays children are shunning outdoor play and adventure in favour od gaming consoles and tv.
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| One of my favourite pictures of my son J playing at our local ‘Discovery Centre’. |
The nation’s favourite adventurer, Bear Grylls, teams up with Persil to get kids back outside and learn forgotten childhood skills
Research carried out suggests that 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. I remember fondly all those days spent making our own fun with just our bikes and the twigs we could find!
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. This is something I find very worrying, surely not only is not good for their mind but for their health too, every child needs to burn off that energy! My son is full of energy and loves a good play in the garden!
After school play has evolved from riding a bike (26% of parents) and playing sports (23% of parents), to playing computer games and watching TV – the most popular activities with children (31.5%). 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!”
Marloes Garben, Brand Manager for Persil comments: “We have teamed up with the nation’s favourite adventurer, Bear Grylls, to offer kids and their parents the chance to spend a day with the man himself at the first ever Persil ‘Today I Am…’ Adventure Day on 26th May 2012. Simply buy any pack of Persil to be in with the chance of winning! Persil small & mighty can take on the toughest of stains, like mud and grass, so kids can take on the toughest of outdoor adventures – just like Bear Grylls!”
Bear Grylls’ Top Ten Things To Do Before You’re Ten
1. Perfect the perfect hill roll
2. Become a hide-and-seek champion
3. Go sledging- on sand
4. Build a den- indoors or out
5. Build a rope swing
6. Nurse that sting
7. Try and count the stars
8. Make a mud pie
9. Make a compass
10.Pick your own pudding
How many do you remember doing from when you were younger??I used to love going blackberry picking with my nan! Although I do have to admit I never made a mud-pie!
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.