- James Van Der Beek said moving from LA to Texas helped his family connect with nature.
- The actor told Good Morning America he commits to daily outdoor play with his six children.
James Van Der Beek has said that moving from Los Angeles to Texas allowed him and his family to forge a "better connection to nature," and opened up about what he's been up to during a two-year break from acting.
Best known for playing Dawson Leery in the 1990s television series "Dawson's Creek," Van Der Beek, who has six children with his wife Kimberly Brook, said in a recent interview with Good Morning America that leaving LA in 2020 allowed him to have more time to himself outdoors.
"Anything that I want to do for me, whether it's any meditation or yoga or exercise, has to happen before the rest of the household wakes up," he said, telling the outlet he's been attempting carpentry and growing food in his garden in the mornings.
According to Van Der Beek, the whole family has been enjoying nature together since their move to Austin, Texas: "We've got a great spot where we can go watch the sun go down and the kids can play. I put up a bunch of ropes in the trees and they can run around and swing and kick the soccer ball and throw the football. There is no shortage of things to do for sure."
The 46-year-old actor is currently partnering with granola bar brand Quaker Chewy for their Play Pledge, a campaign where families commit to an hour of uninterrupted play each day. The brand will be donating $200,000 to help build more playgrounds for children in underserved communities, in partnership with American nonprofit KABOOM!
Van Der Beek told People that the challenge has been an "antidote to getting on a screen."
"For me, playing with the kids is so important. It's good for them physically, it's good for them mentally, emotionally. It's good for our relationship," he told the outlet, adding, "But as any busy parent knows, if you don't schedule that play, the odds of it happening dwindle."
Though Van Der Beek has taken a break from his Hollywood recently, raising six children has kept him extremely busy, he told People.
"When you think you've got it down, you get one that throws a curveball at you. And it's regulating our own emotions when things do get hectic and chaos ensues, which is inevitable at times," he said.
In early May, Van Der Beek confirmed to Insider that he has officially boarded the Netflix film "Rock the Boat," which comes from veteran comedy director Luke Greenfield. He said shooting on the film, which also stars Rebel Wilson and Leslie Mann, is set to begin after the summer.