According to some parental guidelines, it’s suggested that children over the age of six should be getting at least a full hour of physical activity in every single day, this is because active kids usually mean healthy and happy kids too. Unfortunately, however, many kids get much less than this thanks to the existence and temptation from mediums like video games, TV and the Internet. If you’re struggling to encourage your child to be active, take these tips into account.
1) Set An Example
If your kids see you lounging around on the couch and watching TV it’s likely that they will follow suit. You can’t just tell them to go and run around outside if you aren’t willing to do it yourself. Therefore as parents, you should learn to lead by example and try to take care of your own health as well as your child’s – the good news is that this can be done through various family activities like bike rides, walks or playing catch outside.
2) Give Them Ride-On Toys
Your kids may not like walking for too long, but the chances are they won’t mind getting more active if you give them a ride on toy. For young kids this could be a simple balance bike. For older children it could mean a skateboard, scooter or even roller blades. These toys are designed to be fun, and your kids will be exercising without even have them to realize it.
3) Fly Kites
Flying a kite itself may not always take too much physical exertion, but they’re great for encouraging active kids to get outside and start enjoying the fresh air and the environment. Chances are they will enjoy running around with their kite, too, and they can learn some cool tricks in the process!
4) Don’t Give Your Kids Too Many Electronics
As well as encouraging physical activity, you may also want to take certain measures to discourage inactivity. For example, leaving a TV in your child’s bedroom could encourage them to watch it more often. Try to limit TV and computer time to certain time slots, and don’t buy them too many gadgets (if possible or learn to have a good mix!) If they can’t keep away from their video games then choose something like the Wii or Kinect to encourage movement.
5) Mix It Up
To keep things interesting, try to mix up a variety of activities. You could, for example, decide to try a new sport or activity as a family every week. Not only is this a good way to keep active kids interested in exercise, it also gives them a chance to find the thing that they really enjoy and are good at. Once they have that particular interest, they can work at improving further.