WHIPPANY, N.J.– Today, Claritin® from Bayer, the #1 doctor recommended non-drowsy oral allergy OTC brand, announced the year-two launch of The Outsideologist Project, a multi-year initiative aimed at encouraging children to spend more time outside. A new survey commissioned by the brand found that while 81% of parents surveyed agree their child is excited to be outside, more than half (55%) are worried their kids aren’t spending enough time outside. To help kids and their families, establish a lifelong love of being outside, the brand enlisted celebrity designers, longtime couple and parents of two, Nate Berkus and Jeremiah Brent, to join with the makers of Claritin® on their mission to provide outdoor inspiration and help give one lucky family the backyard of their dreams.
In the program’s inaugural year, Claritin gave parents the resources and inspiration needed to encourage their families to spend more time outside with a goal to get kids to spend an extra hour outside each week. This year, the project will help families rediscover the extraordinary experiences awaiting in their own backyards and local communities.
“As a family, we love spending time outdoors, whether walking around our neighborhood or visiting the park,” said Nate Berkus. “Raising our kids in a big city has shown us how much wonder lies right outside our front door, which is why we are so excited to be teaming up with Claritin for this project to help families rediscover their own backyards and get excited about being outside this summer.”
“As parents, we try to instill a love for play and imagination in our kids just as we experienced when we were their age,” said Jeremiah Brent. “Some of my fondest childhood memories are of playing outside until the sun went down, and we want Poppy and Oskar, as well as children across the country, to experience the same sort of joy.”
A new Claritin® survey of 5,000 American parents of children aged 5 to 13 found that while kids are excited to spend time outside, they are doing so less than their parents did at their age. The majority of parents surveyed (76%) state that most of their playtime as a child was spent outdoors, but nearly three quarters (74%) of them note they believe their child does not play outside as often as they did. When kids do get outside, 61% of parents shared that their kids typically play outside in their backyard, followed by their front yard (54%) and local park (50%).
Furthermore, 72% of parents agree that their family would spend more time outside if their personal space were more exciting. Beginning today through July 7, Claritin® will help one lucky family build the backyard space of their dreams with the #BackyardChallenge sweepstakes. Families are encouraged to use the dedicated hashtag on Instagram with a photo or video of how they’re having fun outside for a chance to win a $10,000 prize and a virtual design consultation with Nate Berkus and Jeremiah Brent. Additional prizes will be available throughout the entry period.
