Karina Jones is a real-life ranch wife in the Nebraska Sandhills and one of the most highly sought-after speakers in the cattle industry nationwide!
Welcome back to Ranch Raised and my plea to get your kids outside to play!
Yesterday I shared a statistic that I find completely crazy! According to the Child Mind Institute the average American child is in front of a screen 5-8 hours a day and is only outside engaging in unstructured play 4-7 minutes a day.
I just had to continue the conversation, I guess as a way to justify the benefits of increasing all children getting outside to play!
Kids who play outside are creative and using their imagination. The stick on the ground becomes a pirate’s sword; the fallen tree becomes a bridge to another world; the top of the hill becomes the kitchen to their pretend house. Instead of having their world dictated to them through a show, game or book, kids learn to dictate their own rules.
Playing outside improves their Critical Thinking Skills. Children at schools with an environmental education component tend to perform better in math, reading, writing, listening and critical thinking.
Playing outside develops a child’s coordination and strength and exposes them to challenges they can overcome. Jumping a creek, surviving a rainstorm and climbing a tree. All of these prove to a child that there’s power inside them and even increases their confidence.
There is a whole world waiting outside for kids to explore. It does not require fancy equipment or paid memberships. It just requires the will to open the door and step out!
We are going to grab some sleds and go hit the hills! Have a great day!
Karina ranches with her husband, Marty, and 4 children near Broken Bow, NE. She grew up in western NE, with roots also in southwest SD. The cattle industry and raising kids is her passion.
Watching the cattle industry go the path that it has gone, she could no longer sit quietly at home checking cows, fixing fence, and doing all the everyday tasks wondering when some else was going to make it all better. As she became more active and outspoken on industry issues, she was asked to join the R-CALF USA staff in September 2020 as the Checkoff Petition Campaign manager. That position transcended into her former role as full time Field Director for R-CALF USA.
You can hear her almost every Friday on Your Ag Network’s Hot Barn Report, where she deep dives into cattle industry issues and industry reforms. Listen to Ranch Raised on a Your Ag Network hometown station or www.youragnetwork.com where she talks about her daily life on the Jones Ranch.
Cattle producers are her people. She will meet you at the county fair, at the sale barn, or anywhere the dusty trail leads.
[email protected] or visit facebook.com/ranchraisedwithkarinajones
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