‘A generation growing up on screens’ as kids now spend less than 30 mins outdoors

Half the country’s children spend only 30 minutes or less playing outdoors daily, and many children have never climbed a tree or walked in a forest, a study has shown.

However, forest management organisation Coillte has a plan to introduce more kids to the great outdoors. Yesterday, it launched an after-school programme, Compass Club, specialising in outdoor skills for children aged six to 12.

Compass Club’s Shane Stafford said that, so far, more than 3,400 children have taken part in after-school clubs.