Quarter of children play outdoors every day Climbing trees and games of hide-and-seek were commonplace for past generations, but now 10 per cent of under-10s never plays outside, research suggests. A third of young children say their favourite after-school activity is playing computer games or watching television compared with only 14 per cent who prefer playing sports. It was a different story in parents' day, with a quarter saying their favourite play activity was riding a bike, and a similar number saying they played sports after school. The lack of time spent outdoors has resulted in the loss of traditional skills like building a den or tying a rope swing, the research commissioned by Persil found. The survey was timed to coincide with a new handbook of ten activities to try before the age of ten, which includes perfecting the perfect hill roll, making a mud pie and trying to count the stars. Adventurer Bear Grylls, who helped compile the list, said: "It's important to teach kids to enjoy some free and simple outdoor adventures. Soggy wellies, grassy knees and muddy hands should be part of growing up. Whether it's using their imagination to play games outside or learning a new skill like building a den, I want more kids to enjoy outside activities and experience a bit of adventure.