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News from February 20, 1924 (Buffalo Courier Express, via Newspapers.com™)
1920s Columnist Encourages Outdoor Winter Activities for Kids
In the 1920s, a columnist in the Buffalo Courier Express emphasized the positive impact that outdoor winter activities had on children’s health. The article indicated that spending time in the cold, such as a winter vacation in the woods, could increase energy and resistance, leading to fewer colds, sore throats, coughs, and a reduced risk from serious illnesses like pneumonia, measles, scarlet fever, and diphtheria.
The narrative provided an example of a woman who took action against the potential health risks of the holiday season by organizing a retreat to the northern peninsula woods of Michigan for her three sons and seven other boys during the Christmas holidays. The children engaged in various activities, including skating, snowshoeing, building snow structures, and observing wildlife in the winter. These activities ensured that they were thoroughly exhausted by nightfall, resulting in them sleeping soundly and waking up ready for another active day.
The account provided a historical insight into how engagement with nature and exposure to the winter elements were regarded as means to enhance health and combat common diseases during the era. It reflected the belief that the environment played a crucial role in wellbeing and underscored the proactive approach to health and fitness through outdoor play embraced at the time.
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