NORFOLK, Neb. -- It's the Worldwide Day of Play and a local museum in Norfolk is trying to get kids and parents active and help themselves in more ways than just enjoying the outdoors.

A program started by Nickelodeon; the Worldwide Day of Play has a local event at the Elkhorn Valley Museum and executive director Libby McKay said outdoor play encourages children to communicate with others.

"Then sort of encouraged us to be out doing things and exploring and having unstructured play," McKay said. "Which is a very important piece in childhood development and physical development of our kids."

According to the Central for Disease Control, children three to five years old should be active throughout the day and ages six to 17 should get aerobic activity and muscle and bone strengthening activities.

The CDC does say kids should participate in age-appropriate activities and avoid weight-lifting activities at young ages.

In a survey done on physical activity among high school students, less than a quarter of children ages six to 17 participate in an hour of physical activity every day.

As a parent, McKay said one of the ways to encourage her kids to get outdoors is to have her kids get bored.

"Sometimes when we're bored, we have the greatest opportunity to figure out something different and new," McKay said. "It really can open up our creativity."

McKay said the event will hopefully show people parks are always open and showcase how people can enjoy the outdoors.

"We've had lots of people today say that they've never been in the park before so we're hoping this is also an opportunity for people to feel like they can come and play at our park," McKay said.