Outdoor Play Toys

As most parents begin to do the yearly process of preparing the lawn before the first frost arrives it is important to remember that what goes into your lawn, goes into your kids and pets that play there!

Do you feel confident that your kids could roll safely in your lawn without the effects of pesticides or chemicals playing havoc on their systems?

Spreading poisons on your lawn can result in a lot of illnesses, the worst being leukemia, brain cancer and soft tissue sarcomas. The same applies to our four legged friends. The National Cancer Institute has found that dogs whose owners use 2, 4-D on their lawns are two times as likely to die of cancer compared to those who play on clean lawns.

Scary? You bet! But here are a few suggestions that can help you have a cleaner lawn.

First, do a soil test! Find out what is in your soil so you can know the proper things to add. Your state may offer a service where you can send your soil for testing and recommendations to assist you.

Add organic fertilizer to lawns, this will seep in when the rain falls and makes late season growth stronger and will make the spring lawn spruce up beautifully. Be sure to top the dressing with a quarter inch of compost for the most successful organic lawn care.

If you are hit with a fungus or insects use only organic pesticides that are based on natural, not synthetic, products.

For more in depth information about organic lawn care you can visit Grassroots Healthy Lawn Program and Organic Land Care.

There is new study showing that playing in the grass may lessen the symptoms of ADHD, proving that outdoor play has a direct result on the well being of a child.

Children that have ADHD who play outside on a regular basis where there is lots of green grass have proven to have milder ADHD symptoms than those that play indoors or on concrete playgrounds.

Some of the more popular outdoor activities for kids that take place in the grass are playing on swingsets, kite flying,  playing catch and some imaginative play in a play tent.

Previous studies have shown that brief exposure to green outdoor spaces such as fields or parks can improve concentration and the impulse of control in children and adults without ADHD. One study found that just looking at green grass was enough to enjoy these positive benefits.

About 9.5% of children from ages 4-17 are dignosed with ADHD, according to 2007 data from the Centers for Disease COntrol and Prevention. Researchers at the University of Illinois completed this study.

To read more details on the study visit MSNBC ADHD study on grass effects.