Kids have natural energy, so it’s important to keep them active and motivated
Kids have a lot of energy, and it can be exhausting. It’s important to keep them active and motivate them to stay active so they can expend their energy and get good sleep at night.
Sedentary kids are more likely to be overweight and unhealthy. It’s also more likely that sedentary kids watch more television or play more video games, which can be educational at times, but should be the exception rather than the rule.
If you’re having trouble getting your child active and motivated, even by fun activities, it may be beneficial to talk with your child’s doctor about why it’s important. Your child may listen to a doctor about why exercise is so important.
Activity Suggestions
These five activities are great ways to motivate your children to stay active and healthy so they can continue to grow.
1. Go outside
Turn off the TV and the video games, and go outside. Even if it means setting time limits on electronics or banning them altogether for a certain period of time. If you take electronics off of the table, your children may find that there’s really nothing better to do.
Provide active toys like balls, jump ropes, games, bicycles, scooters, and other outdoor or riding toys. You can also get plenty of sports sets like croquet, basketball, baseball, and more that are ideally suited for children.
Make sure you’re also encouraging imaginary play with things like playhouses, play kitchens, and other toys that spark imagination. Gardening is also a really fun and creative way to stimulate your child’s mind, body, and soul.
It’s also important to prioritize physical exercise, so try to make time for family walks, even if it’s just around the block. If it’s cold outside, you can do family yoga or fun exercise videos indoors.
Read more: Keep immunity of children and parents boosted during Covid-19
2. Play together
Quality time builds family bonding, and this is something that’s highly important for every child, no matter what the activity. Find developmentally appropriate board games and puzzles to stimulate your child’s brain.
Working the mind and the body together can help your child’s growth. By challenging your child mentally, you’ll develop their brain in other great ways that will complement their physical growth.
You can also create fantastic indoor (or outdoor) games and activities like bowling or hopscotch. Both are easy activities to do with things you already have around the house.
Save empty toilet paper or paper towel rolls to set up as bowling pins. Use a soft ball as the bowling ball, and you instantly have an indoor bowling game. This is a fun physical activity that can challenge your child to aim and throw. It sparks friendly competition and is safe for playing in the house.
You can make it a science lesson on friction and force by changing your playing field from hardwood or tile to the carpet to see how it changes the trajectory of the ball or how fast and far it rolls.
Use masking tape or painting tape on the floor to create a hopscotch game. It won’t damage your floor and you can pull it up to make a new game any time you want. Of course, you can always do it outdoors with sidewalk chalk, too.
It’s physical, but it’s also great for learning numbers and counting, which builds a foundation for a young child’s math skills.
3. Arts and crafts
Painting and drawing don’t have to be a quiet activity. Equip your child with finger paints or sidewalk chalk and let them use their whole body to create art. You can also make baking soda hand or footprints. Involve them in the mixing and baking as well as making the print.
You can tie-dye t-shirts, make marbled paper with paint and shaving cream, make a paint spinner with a lazy susan or a salad spinner, or make life-sized body art by making finger paints into body paints. You’ll need to take a bath after that.
4. Take a dance break
Music is a fantastic way to break the monotony. Most people, especially kids, love music. Turn on some music and take a dance break in the living room. The whole family can participate. It won’t take long for you to break a sweat. Music is great for development of all ages.
5. Explore your community
Chances are, if you look hard enough, there’s some really great nature walks, wildlife, and history. Teach your kids where they come from. Let them explore their roots. Let them get dirty.
Not only will they use their bodies to stay active, but they’ll learn something and develop a sense of pride about where they’re from and be able to speak knowledgeably about it to their friends and other people.
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