Children are much more energetic than adults and have a natural desire to stay physically active. They love so much to move around but there are many factors that reduce the physical activity of kids. In this article, we will look for 13 simple ways to keep a child physically active.
- The busy schedule of parent
- Screen-times
- Less opportunity of taking part in sports
- Spending more time in School
But keeping children physically active is one of the most important things a parent should focus on because active kids are smarter kids. Not only physically but mentally too.
Why physical activity is so important for children?
Physical activity improves blood circulation to all over the body including brain cells and helps in so many ways.
• Strengthen muscles and bones
• Helps sleeping better at night
• Reduce the risk of so many diseases later in the life
• Helps maintain a healthy weight
• Improves children’s coordination and balance
• Promotes healthy growth and development
• Helps in better brain development
How to keep children physically active?
Here are 13 practical and simple ways to keep the child physically active:
1- Be a role model
The first and the most important tip is to become a role model. If you are not physically active yourself, it is very unlikely that your child will take interest in moving around. Children usually follow the lifestyle of their parents. If you will follow a good and active lifestyle it is not only beneficial for kids but you will also stay fit and healthy.
2- Enroll them in different sports
Enrolling the children in different sports is the best thing you can do in this regard. They will love this idea. Consider their favorite sports and give them choices. You can look for basketball, swimming, Karate, or volleyball.
Team sports are also a great option because you can invite their friends too. Kids love playing with their friends.
3- Choose age appropriate activities for kids
There is no point of providing opportunity to activities which are not suitable for kid’s age. For example, what will a 1 year old do with the basketball? He/she doesn’t have enough motor skill to play with a basketball. So, finding activities which are age-appropriate is so much important.
4- Reduce screen time
Screen-time is one of the main culprits in making the kids lazy. Screen disturbs the brain and makes the children anxious. Children end-up wanting more screen time instead of getting tiered. So, limiting screen time is a very good idea to make the children more active.
5- Praise them when they become more physically active
It’s human nature to love compliments. People tend to repeat the act more often, for which they got a compliment. Children are also little humans, so whenever they jump, run or do any such activity then you should praise them and sometimes clap for them.
6- Start slow
If your child is much lazy then you should not force him/her to jump on. Start slowly. Encourage him to get into some activities which require less energy. Then gradually increase the frequency and intensity.
7- Don’t compare them with other kids
Comparing with other children is the worst thing a parent can do to the kid. Comparison develops a sense of jealousy and insecurity in kids. So, instead of comparing with other children, encourage them to beat their own previous record.
8- Introduce new games more often
Children may get bored of playing a same game for longer. Introduce new games and activities after some time. It will encourage them to keep up the interest in being physically active.
9- Arrange active competitions
Arrange activities or competitions like racing etc. You can fix a gift for the winner. This will help you a lot in this regard. Try to arrange at least one competition a month.
10- Choose walking over car ride
Try to walk instead of riding a car. For example, walking to the nearby grocery store is a good idea.
11- Feed them with healthy food
What a person eats, plays a very important role in how that person feels. Junk food contains a lot of calories and almost no nutritional value. With less nutrition the kid is more likely to become lazy and inactive. So, feeding the right food is important, i.e. more vegetables, fruits and proteins.
12- Make sure they are medically fit
Even if you are following all the tips above, but you still feel that your kid is lazy. You must seek medical advice and make sure that your child is medically fit.
13- Set-up a playground at home
Last but not least! one of the most important and effective ways to keep the child physically active is to set a playground at home.
Children are never tired of playing in a playground. But parents usually don’t have enough time to take them to the grounds. That’s why it’s is a great idea to set up a playground at your own home. Children will have 24/7 access to their playground and it will help you a lot to keep them physically active.
Even if you don’t have outdoor space, you can use an indoor space.
We have some awesome ideas about what to keep in an indoor playground. Check those ideas here.
More of your interest:
Love this! My boys play rugby (normally anyway), I run and since this latest lockdown my oldest is running with me. It’s great for them to keep fit and to do something together.
Loce these ideas so much! Out little is super active and hardly ever watches television. He is always running and jumping around.
This is a great list of activities. Especially now, when they are on the computer for school and sitting at home all day. THank you for sharing!
Great ideas! Needed this as my daughter just wants to colour in 24/7. I especially love number 1. My partner and I don’t find time to exercise but if we see it as a benefit to the kids lifestyle too it is easier to prioritise.
Great suggestions! Thanks for compiling this list.
My son is 2 so we are only getting to a stage of set activities but it is something I think is so important and something we will be enrolling him into when restrictions lift
This is so great! I needed this for my children, they definitely are starting to become consumed with electronics and need different ways to encourage them to be physically active as well!
Love this, i have 3 kids and my middle child is the most active. She loves jump rope and jumping on our trampoline with friends. Kids being active is very important for their growth and social skills.
Fantastic ideas! I am all for kids away from screens and interacting with each other in a fun way. Your suggestions are wonderful.
These are wonderful ideas for keeping children active. I have two sons and their favorite activities include trampoline, and punching the bag in the garage. Keeping kids active is one of the best things you can do for them, thanks for the reminder!
This is such a great post! Will be sharing with my sister since she has three little ones.
So useful advices!!! The whole time with the quarantine my 5 years old boy has changed his routine and see more TV than I would like for him. So, your ideas helped me a lot… thank you
I loooove the ideas!! Thanks for sharing !!