Wyevale Garden Centres launched a campaign last week to encourage gardeners to plant more trees to improve the health and wellbeing of children growing up in technology-dependent Britain.

Wyevale Garden Centres partnered with CHILDWISE to produce fresh statistics which emphasised the concern that, while schools are educating children on the practical benefits of trees, the emotive values of engaging with trees by playing outdoors are being overshadowed by the rise of modern day technology such as iPads and video games.

Key data includes:

· Over 50% of children quizzed said they would prefer to play on an iPad or tablet over a tree-house

· More than 50% of children quizzed revealed they have a tree in their garden, but one in three admitted to never playing in it and one in five don’t want a tree in their garden

·  Almost two thirds of children do not recognise the UK’s most common types of trees, including silver birch, crab apple and weeping willow/

· Whilst 82% of children recognise that trees produce oxygen and 64% understand that they clean the air, only 25% view trees as a sociable play area

David Mitchell, a plant buyer at WGC, said: “Trees have long been the plant of choice for gardeners seeking to create a shady spot, a burst of colour or a bite to eat. Once upon a time, trees were also a popular source of entertainment from swings to tree houses. Planting more trees this Autumn will not only set your garden up for Spring, but also create spaces to encourage children to put down the tablet and enjoy the outdoors.” 

Simon Leggett, research director at CHILDWISE, said: “The questions in this survey were quite unusual in the sense that they were very specific to trees and the difference these make to a child’s upbringing. They brought to light some very interesting data which shows the hold technology is increasingly having on younger generations and just how out of touch they are with the traditional enjoyment trees are known for.”

Wyevale garden centres’ top tips for parents and grandparents to encourage children to take to the outdoors include:

· Plant a tree – buy a young tree and get your child to care for it. Allow them to choose what kind of tree and where to plant it, and teach them how to care for and maintain it. Added benefits of this is that your child is not just learning how to take care of something, but also watching and understanding how a tree grows and develops.

· Schedule ‘nature’ breaks – ensure your child gets some fresh air, away from any electronic influence, for at least an hour every day. Going for a leisurely walk or playing an outdoor sport is a great way to approach this

· Walk the dog – dogs are a great excuse to force your child to get some fresh air and outdoor exercise as they require daily walks. If you don’t own a dog of your own then offer to walk with a friend or neighbour who does. Make sure your child takes a ball or toy with them so as to engage in game-playing to make the task more fun

· Planned days out – try as much as you can to plan at least one family day out a week where everybody leaves behind the TV, laptop, iPad and video games and spend the day being active, like spending the day in a country park on planned walks or wildlife watch

· Traditional fun – rediscover traditional games and take your children conker picking. You can teach them how to play once they’ve picked the best bunch, and it’s a great way to get outdoors in the slightly chillier months.