With warmer weather arriving, schools letting out for summer, mask mandates being eased and COVID-19 cases on the decline, now is a good time to encourage county youths to take part in outdoor activities.

For the past 15 months, youths have either been cooped up at home or socially distanced at school from their classmates. This has limited the types of activities in which they could take part, and with whom they could enjoy them.

This summer, Butler County is offering numerous opportunities for youths to take advantage of the warmer weather and eased restrictions — and many programs in the region provide a number of benefits.

Butler’s expanded summer recreation program kicks off this week — for a full listing, check out Tuesday’s story — and includes activities for youths and adults, including a pickleball clinic, walk and talk tours, a playground program with games and trips to Alameda Park’s swimming pool, skateboarding events at Father Marinaro Park and round-robin basketball tournaments for elementary through high school students.

Early this month, the United Way of Southwestern Pennsylvania will distribute more than $2 million to 65 organizations across the region to provide programs for youths this summer as part of its “Welcome Back” initiative.

Some of the county organizations to benefit from the initiative include the Butler County Family YMCA, Slippery Rock Parks and Recreation Department and Glade Run Lutheran Services.

Bobbi Watt Geer, president and CEO of the United Way of Southwestern Pennsylvania, noted that “this has been an incredibly tough year for kids and families,” adding the organization’s goal was to “bring back the joy of summer, ensuring that across our region we can foster curiosity, fun and learning for our children as we collectively emerge from the pandemic.”

Although a fair amount of time among youths was likely spent on gadgets or in front of computer screens during COVID-19, because of limitations on indoor gatherings, most parks saw an increase in activity during the pandemic. Having few places to go outside of their home, many children were forced to spend time outdoors.

Now that the pandemic is waning, we should continue to promote the type of outdoor activities the county is offering for youths.

The activities being offered can help them to learn more about the place they call home, while also promoting exercise and much-needed socialization that was missing this past year.

We’re glad the county is ramping up its summer offerings, and hope there’s more where that came from.

— NCD