Grandparents.com launches campaign to get kids outside!

"Go Play Outside" movement takes on couch potatoes to reduce childhood stress and obesity and raise money for charity

Nation’s youth spends six hours a day in front of TV, computer and video games and just four minutes playing outside

May 11, 2009 – New York, NY – Grandparents.com has launched a major national campaign encouraging grandparents to join a movement called: Go Play Outside. The goal is to get kids off the couch – and outside for a collective 1 million hours of play by summer’s end.

The site is asking grandparents to plan outdoor activities with their grandchildren and then come to Grandparents.com and log in their hours and experiences. When the goal of 1 million hours is reached, a donation will be made to KaBOOM!, the national non-profit organization dedicated to bringing play back into the lives of children.

“In just a couple of days, we already have hundreds of hours logged in,” said Dr. Georgia Witkin, nationally acclaimed health expert and spokesperson for this movement. “And what we’re hearing from participants is that they are not only feeling good about helping their grandchildren – they are having a lot of fun doing it!”

Dr. Witkin has appeared on more than 100 television news shows and has written close to a dozen books on the subjects of stress management and childhood challenges. She is family relationship expert and senior editor for Grandparents.com. If you would like to set up an interview with Dr. Witkin or any of the participating families in your area, contact Lynn Munroe 845-548-1211 or lynn@grandparents.com.

About Grandparents.com
Grandparents.com is the premier community for today’s new generation of active, involved grandparents to foster connections with their grandchildren and their adult children. The site offers content to inspire such connections, including child- and grandparent friendly activities, travel ideas, compelling lifestyle features, expert advice, gift ideas and much more. To facilitate communication among grandparents, children and their parents, visitors have access to a range of online tools including groups, discussions, blogs, photo-sharing and video-chat applications.

KaBOOM! is a national non-profit organization that envisions a great place to play within walking distance of every child in America. Since 1995, KaBOOM! has used its innovative community-build model to bring together business and community interests to construct more than 1,600 new playgrounds, skateparks, sports fields and ice rinks across North America. KaBOOM! also offers a variety of resources, including an online community, free online trainings, grants, publications and the KaBOOM! National Campaign for Play, which includes Playful City USA and Playmakers – a national network of individual advocates for play. For more information, visit www.kaboom.org.