Getting kids active is something really close to my heart. Not only for selfish reasons, they fall asleep so much quicker when you let them run off their energy, but also because it’s so beneficial for your kids’ development and health.
Obesity figures in the UK are on the rise and hearing that 1 in 3 children between the ages of 2 and 10 are overweight, 1000 of them referred to hospital for treatment, is quite frankly alarming. As someone who has struggled with being overweight all their life, making sure that Amy enjoys exercise is something that has been very important to me from the very beginning. Luckily, she follows after her dad and turns even the most mundane activity into some form of exercise, but if you’re struggling to get your kids active, here are some tips that might help you.
Getting your kids active – my top tips
Make it fun
You’ve been to the forest or local farm a hundred times and you’re kids are rolling their eyes as soon as you mention a visit? Make your activities fun by adding a new element to your days out. Amy loves activity sheets, so I’ve made a farm activity sheet that teaches kids about farm animals and items you can find on a farm. It takes 5 minutes to create and adds so much fun to a day out. Amy had an absolute blast racing around our local farm trying to find all the objects pictures. She was happy just completing the sheet but you can always add a little incentive to motivate your little ones.
Make it a routine
Set aside time to get active as a family each week. It doesn’t matter if it’s a weekly trip to your local pool, the walk to and from school or a Saturday morning at the playground. The important thing is that you stick to your plans and create a routine that fits into your everyday life.
Join a club
We’re much more likely to stick to exercising and being active if we can enjoy it with friends. Sign your kids to an after school club or let them join a local sports team. They’ll make new friends in no time and will enjoy getting active together. Amy has recently joined the local sports club and loves exercising with her little buddies. They organise competitions with other clubs, go on outings and offer fab camps for the school holidays teaching children about the importance of being active and creating healthy habits.
Support your kids school in their attempts
Getting kids active isn’t just a job for you as a parent. Try to get your kids’ school or nursery on board or support them in their efforts to raise healthy and active children. Is your school looking into getting new playground equipment to get the kids outside and active during break time? Help them by organising a fundraiser, offer manpower or get local businesses on your side. A healthy body doesn’t only support a healthy mind, but it creates joy in life, fitness and self-esteem.
Make activity part of a bigger project
Your kids prefer more relaxed activities such as drawing, crafts or reading? Getting kids active doesn’t have to mean running up and down the athletics field or making them to sports they don’t enjoy. Combine the getting active with an activity they love and make exercise and activity part of a bigger project. Go on an autumn walk and collect conkers for fun autumn crafts, look for the Gruffalo in your local forest or pick fruit for a tasty recipe.
Is getting kids active and outside something that’s important to you? How do you promote exercise and an active lifestyle as a parent?
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Some great tips here! It’s so easy to stay in when the weather is bad, but it’s so important to get out xx