Allowing children to regularly explore and experience nature can lead to positive health benefits, including reducing the risk of childhood obesity, reducing allergies and improving of mental health. Through nature, children experience more physical activity than indoor entertainment, which can combat childhood obesity. While in nature a child's body can adapt to allergies and eventually become immune. Finally, nature can help improve a child's overall mental health. Unfortunately, interactions with nature have decreased substantially for children compared to the time their parents spent with nature during their childhood. This decline is caused by factors such as parental anxiety and busy lifestyles. Despite the factors that have caused children's experiences with nature to decline, there are ways parents and caregivers can increase nature experience and exploration for their children, allowing them to reap all the benefits that nature offers. With the current obesity epidemic on the rise, the number of children diagnosed as obese in the United States is sharply increasing. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, childhood obesity has more than doubled over the past 30 years, and in 2010, it was estimated that more than a third of the child population was considered overweight or obese. (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2014) Fortunately, allowing children to openly explore and experience nature can significantly reduce the risk of childhood obesity. When children play outdoors they take part in various physical activities. These activities can include games like tag, hide and seek, or even sports like soccer and basketball. Other activities are geared towards individual play, for example… half of paper… it makes sense that children are enabled and encouraged to participate in outdoor activities. Works cited by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2014, February 12). Adolescent and school health. Retrieved from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: http://www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/obesity/facts.htmHitti, M. (2014, February 12). ADHD in the Pediatric Health Center. Retrieved from WebMD: http://www.webmd.com/add-adhd/childhood-adhd/news/20040827/nature-helps-fight-adhdNews, N.N. (2014, February 12). Get back to nature to reduce allergies and asthma. Retrieved from NYR Natrual News: http://www.nyrnaturalnews.com/nature/2012/05/get-back-to-nature-to-reduce-allergies-and-asthma/Vindum, T. (2014, February 12) . Reduce stress in the outdoors. Retrieved from Athletachi: http://www.athleta.net/2011/02/23/reduce-stress-in-the-great-outdoors/