It’s 8am and my kids are out sledding with the neighborhood kids. They scurried out of their pajamas when a neighboring 8-year-old knocked on the door, sled in hand.

There’s lots of talk about getting children outside to play. I’ve seen books lately that give parents tips for how to play outdoors with their kids. Anything that gets kids outside is good, but nothing beats another child.

Sometimes it seems like the 1950s on our block. Children 5 and up ride scooters and bikes up and down the sidewalk. This is a neighborhood where kids congregate in neighbors’ yards and knock on each other’s doors to go outside to play. The young ones (5-6) seek each other out, but often the play becomes a mix of ages, 5-12, whether it’s a game of mud and sticks, baseball or leaf piles.

What does it take to get kids outside? Indoor screens can be so enticing. It’s hard to compete. Swings and play structures are fine, but that’s not what really draws kids out. All it takes is a child outside. Children are magnets for other children. All it takes in our neighborhood is three families who are comfortable with outdoor community play.

It starts with us. We need to loosen our reins and schedules and let kids outside. Start by finding a few allies, a neighborhood family who shares your goals of outdoor play. Maybe your neighborhood doesn’t have this mindset yet. You can be the leader. Send your magnets into the world and draw other children outside.

Do you have allies in your neighborhood? What is your neighborhood mindset? Do you have a place where the children congregate?