Spending time outdoors in open grassy areas appears to help minimize symptoms of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder in children, a new study suggests.

Researchers from the University of Illinois looked at 49 activities children are typically involved in after school and on weekends and discovered an association between playing in outdoor natural environments and less severe ADHD symptoms, according to a story on msnbc.com.

“On the whole, the green settings were related to milder overall symptoms than either the ‘built outdoors’ or ‘indoors’ settings,” said study researcher Andrea Faber Taylor, a University of Illinois teaching associate.

Children with ADHD experience difficulties with concentration and impulse control, as well as hyperactivity. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports about 9.5 percent of children ages 4 to 17 have been diagnosed with ADHD.

To read the complete msnbc.com story, Go Here.