I think parents need to be enthusiastic and up for it to persevere if they are trying to wrench them from the TV remote control. Because, like, how animals can sense fear, I think that kids can sense it when you're faking it and you're pretending like you want to play with them but if you're genuinely enthusiastic and trying to get them outdoors it helps.
If you do have some new equipment like Space Hoppers or a new bike, i think that definitely helps. Even if it's a Hoola Hoop it can push them out to the garden.
Failing that, buy a massive safe and lock away the TV and games console!
Do you think that all the new electronic games are the reason behind why children have lost interest in simple activities?
Mine are really young so the games console doesn't really come into it but the telly certainly does, I put that on and can hear their brains dripping out of their ears. I don't mind it if we watch a nice movie or watch something that doesn't have adverts and isn't a cartoon, something a bit more educational. I do try to limit the amount.
I think when you're indoors its tricky to know how to entertain them, which is why things like Sardines, which is a sort of more advanced level of hide and seek, and things that you can play in the house when the weathers rubbish are quite handy.
I think it's a combination of things, my kid's are obsessed with the Ipad and stuff, we have to hide all of them but if we get them playing games, they get massively into it.
I think also, parents, especially in big cities, are much more weary about letting their kids go out and play on the streets. I mean, I used to go out and play British Bulldog, on what we used to call the half circle, a little concrete pedestrian bit where all the kids from our street used to play. Kids these days are a bit more restricted to their gardens and house and thats why, as parents, I think we've got to try and be a bit more pro-active.
There might be mums reading this who have just done a 12 hour shift, we've got to be realistic, I'm not expecting every hour to be funfilled but I definitely think you can swap half an hour of TV for a game. We all have rubbish mum days and we all have those "high 5! You go mum" sort of days, I know I do. It feels good if you get them engaged and play games with them.
And finally, can you tell us what's coming up for you in the next 6 months?
I still have my BBC Radio 1 programme which is going really well, there's some really lovely TV bits coming up as well.
I feel like I'm going up to the Sixth Form (laughs) because I'm in for Claudia Winkleman doing some of her comedy shows for BBC Radio 2 Saturday nights, so I honestly feel like when you move to a big school, I've not moved to Radio 2 yet but I've been and looked around and met some of the teachers, so that's massively exciting! Then there's some other jobs in the pipeline which I've got every finger and every toe crossed for.
Femalefirst Mia Bolton