It's a bird, it's a plane, it's... time to get kids outside!

Summer, where did you go? It seems I blinked and my alarm-clock-free mornings, warm beach days and carefree weekends were instantly gone. Now, it's the third week of the back-to-school rush and my kids and I miss you more than ever. From climbing trees to slouching over desks -- the transition from summer sovereignty to school routines hasn't been easy in my house.

How can we strike a balance between school routines and spending time outdoors?

Even though back-to-school can make your family back-to-busy, it's important to ensure children don't disconnect from one of the most important classrooms -- the outdoors. When I was a kid, Mother Nature was one of my favorite educators. I climbed trees, played in the dirt and lifted rocks to discover the "newest" species. I was often free to explore, run and follow my own guidelines. My parents encouraged me to get outside and play and I feel this helped me develop mentally, physically and emotionally. There's nothing like being perched in a tree or running through fields of grass -- you almost believe you're a superhero.

But how many children are playing outside these days? How many parents are encouraging daily outdoor play?

Children today spend less time outdoors than any other generation in history. A U.S. research study of 830 mothers nationwide showed that children today spend considerably less time playing outdoors than their mothers did as kids and reveals several reasons for this decline, such as dependence on television and digital media and parental concerns about crime and safety. I can hear the "helicopters" hovering overhead...

Dr. Shimi Kang with her three beautiful kids. Dr. Kang is a Harvard trained psychiatrist, award winning researcher, speaker, and #1 Bestselling author of The Dolphin Parent: A Guide to Raising Healthy, Happy, and Self- Motivated Kids (Penguin Books).

But, this isn't just a concern for parents. This has to include teachers and educational administrators, too! In some countries, children spend almost 1,000 hours in the classroom each year. Doesn't that seem like an awful long time to sit in a desk or on a classroom carpet? Plus some schools have scaled back recess times because of instructional pressures and demands to squeeze as much academia into the school day, though research shows that recess benefits children's cognitive, social-emotional and gross-motor skills. It's an interesting parallel that more and more children are being diagnosed with attention deficit disorders. Let's face it -- children are not moving around enough, playing enough or getting outside enough. It is no wonder children have a hard time sitting still or not fidgeting! They need hours of play outdoors to establish a healthy sensory system and to support higher-level classroom learning. The message is clear: Kids need nature to help them reduce stress and live happier, healthier and more motivated lives.

So, how can we -- parents, educators, grandparents and caregivers -- help our children get back outside?

Let's give our kids the same feeling we once felt -- soaring, exploring and playing like superheroes. The David Suzuki Foundation's four-week Back to School Superhero Challenge provides materials to help get kids back outside to learn about critical environmental issues. By completing these challenges, you and your child can learn how you're connected with the environment and how to make a "super" eco-friendly difference in your community. Teach your kids the importance of protecting and preserving nature now while improving their physical and mental health.

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