When you see children at a park or during the break time at school, they are naturally active. However, between the heat and the rain, your children may be spending a lot more of their vacation indoors. They may not complain because they have unlimited entertainment on television, with video games or Youtube. Even if children want to go outside to play, it may be difficult for busy, working parents to get outside with them and unfortunately, many parents do not feel comfortable allowing children to roam the neighbourhood as we did in previous generations.
Our bodies were designed to move and children who get regular physical exercise tend to have a healthy weight, better sleep, develop strong bones and muscles and a decreased risk of developing chronic diseases such as diabetes. In addition to these physical benefits, active children also tend to be in a more positive mood and have improved cognitive abilities and academic performance. Furthermore, active children are more likely to grow into active adults when this healthy habit is part of their lifestyle from a young age.
Here are a few ideas to keep your children active during this school holiday:
- Be a role model
We all know it – children learn more from what we do than what we say. How are you modelling an active lifestyle to your children? Take them with you when you go to play sports or go for a walk or let them join in with you for an at-home workout. - Play with your child
They may not always say it, but our children want to spend time with us more than anything else. Find fun activities you can do together as a family, which can be anything from a simple game of catch to going on a hike. - Take screen breaks
Set reminders to take active screen breaks. To make it fun, your children can pick an activity from a hat such as jumping jacks or burpees before turning back on the device. - Indoor activity stations
Another fun activity is to create an indoor circuit, with different activity stations throughout the house. For example, the living room may have a sign that says “pushups” and the kitchen may have “wall squats”. You can set a timer for everyone to move through the stations and can even make it a competition. - Active Games
If your children are interested in video games, investing in a few active games such as the Wii Fit and Just Dance can kill two birds with one stone. - Dance tutorials
Even if you do not have a gaming console, there are several dance tutorials available on YouTube or you can turn on your favourite music and have a dance party. - Old School Games
Do your children know the games that you grew up playing? Games like hopscotch, red light, green light, elastic? Relive your childhood and teach them some of your favourites and keep yourself active in the process. - Master a Skill
Is your child an athlete or interested in taking up a new sport? Perhaps they can use the school vacation to refine a skill that will support them when activities resume in September. Perhaps you have a football player who needs to work on his/her core strength, or maybe a dancer who wants to work on her flexibility and splits. You can work with a personal trainer or research videos online for support.
It is important to choose activities that are age-appropriate and suit your children’s personalities. As far as possible, try to expose them to several different types of activities and sports as one activity may pique their interest. Some children may be involved in camps or lessons over the vacation, so make sure you carve out time for movement. Most of all, focus on the FUN because before you know it, the hustle and bustle of the school term will be here again.