We've probably all heard the phrase 'cotton-wool kids' - a generation of children who've never known the thrill of hurtling down a steep hill on a bike with a coat hood pulled tight around their head, whose teachers make them wear goggles to play conkers, and who've never fallen off a swing and grazed their knees.
It makes you wonder what these kids think of Just William, Swallows and Amazons or The Famous Five - tales of strange children from another time, an age of adventures where mum and dad let their offspring stay out all day and didn't worry about a little bit of mud.
Did you know the government's been looking into how important playing is to kids' development? On top of that, a number of features have appeared in various newspapers too lately, suggesting that up to a third of children in the UK aged between 7 and 12 aren't allowed to play outside any more because mum and dad are too worried about their safety.
At the free-range butter company, our philosophy extends beyond our cows. We think there's nothing better for a happy, healthy family than getting out there and exploring the great outdoors.
That's why we were horrified when we asked mums across the UK and more than 90% said they remember their childhoods being more carefree and enjoyable than those experienced by today's kids. Why horrified? Because we'd cheerfully been sharing tales of our childhood adventures - everything from lengthy expeditions along canals to leaping off the sheer faces of sand dunes, silliness with snowballs and sledges, to camp-building, tree-climbing and skateboarding antics. And guess what? They all ended happily ever after.
* Our survey says that over half the mums we spoke to felt there was far too much time spent on videogames, computers and TV these days, rather than family activities. We even had a neuropsychologist (Dr Daniel Lewis) in to talk to our mums and he found that they "recalled all sorts of happy memories of their own childhoods - from building sandcastles at the seaside to flying a kite in the park."
"Free-range family activities, such as cycling and picnicking, evoked the strongest and most positive reactions," he added, "while playing alone indoors on video games or computers - the main playthings of many modern children - were viewed far more negatively". But while most of our mums thought playing together as a family in the open air was really important, believing that it bonds families together and improves kids' health, almost half admitted that increasing demands on their time made it hard for them to enjoy family fun as much as they wanted.
But remember - to a child, your garden (or pretty much any outdoor space) is an adventure playground just waiting to be discovered. That's why there's really no need to overcomplicate things - just keep it simple!
We like that kind of thinking - which is why we'll be giving you some ideas for simple (but fun) things to do over the next few months - from picnics to bug-trapping; making a boat to growing cress in your used Anchor tubs, or sleeping under the stars in your very own tepee. And of course, you can always collect tokens on Anchor packs for other simple free-range goodies, like vouchers for a day out or a Cow-Kite.
So when it comes to enjoying a happy, healthy childhood, one thing's for sure - there's no substitute for the great outdoors. And that's our first bit of free-range thinking for you!
If you have any ideas or tips for other hard-pushed parents out there, why not let us know? Click here and tell us what you think.
The free-range butter company
* The research study was conducted by Mindlab with 10 mothers aged 25 - 45 and combined with a national survey of 500 mothers with children aged under 14, in April 2007.