Now that the weather is cooperating, it's time for children to play outdoors more. Mary Rivkin, Ph.D., gives Scholastic's Parent & Child magazine all the good reasons to take the kids outside — and to go with them:

        • Research has shown that children learn more in natural light.

        • When they do learn, there is enormous opportunity for learning in the great outdoors. In that wonder world, there are trees, clouds, rain, seasons, squirrels, rocks, shadows, insects and much more to explore.

        • Gross-motor activity is a good habit that America's increasingly overweight children need to adopt and outdoors is the perfect place to get it. Active, vigorous play, best done outdoors, develops a wide range of motor-coordination skills.

        • Exercise and a change of air refreshes children's spirits and bodies. Just don't forget to accommodate your little asthmatics.

        • Nature has a healing quality. Elements endemic to the outdoors — flowers, butterflies, ants, fauna and foliage — all combine to please and restore.

        • The outdoors encourages children to think environmentally.

        • Last but not least, going outdoors is one sure way to get the kids away from the computer.

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