The single most important way parents can engage their kids in physical activity is to be a role model. Both parents and children need to incorporate movement into their daily lives. Playing outdoors, weather and safety permitting, should be part of your daily routine. Community sports programs are also an excellent way to promote exercise. If your kids aren’t competitive, consider enrolling them in dance, swim, martial arts or gymnastic classes. You could also mount a basketball hoop over your garage door or plan vacations around exercise opportunities, such as camping by a lake.
Parents can find many inexpensive activities to help kids stay fit:
- Play hide-and-seek, dodge ball or other games outdoors.
- Go on a treasure hunt.
- Ride a bike.
- Play hopscotch.
- Jump rope.
- Swim at a local pool.
- Play with a Hula-Hoop.
- Go to a public playground.
For more ideas, go here.
Having fun together should be the focus of family activities. Exercise is simply the natural by-product of playful family times. Packing a picnic lunch and taking a hike provides the opportunity to exercise and reinforces family bonds. Families can also bike, skate or visit playgrounds in nearby parks. A visit to the zoo will get kids walking. At home, turn off the television and go outdoors for games of hopscotch, jump rope, kickball or tag. Invite the neighborhood kids to join your family’s games.
Movement is a normal part of everyday life for all of us, whatever our age. Infants and toddlers are constantly learning new motor skills, and structured exercise is not needed. An ample amount of unstructured playtime should be incorporated into preschool children’s routines. By the time children reach elementary school, 15-minute segments of organized physical activities are appropriate. The goal should be a minimum of one hour of exercise daily by the time your child reaches elementary school and thereafter.
Many of our children will face a lifetime of medical problems if we don’t help them stay trim and fit. Whether we’re parents, grandparents or family friends, we need to encourage each other to get moving with our kids.
Photo courtesy of Neil Gould
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