How to Get Your Kids More Active

There is a lot of concern today about the state of children’s health. Parents and experts are worried about kids’ physical and mental health. They are more sedentary than they were in generations past due to the influx of video games, social media, and smartphones. While these are reasons for a possible change in their physical fitness, they do not need to dictate whether or not your kids get their bodies moving on a regular basis. You can influence their overall health by encouraging more movement. Start with these helpful ideas and incorporate some of your own.

Find Movement in Dance

Dancing is a great way for anyone to get their bodies moving, but especially for kids. There is something about the music and the beat that energizes their little bodies and gets them hopping around or swaying to the lyrics.

Look for a dance class at a nearby dance studio and sign them up for classes. They will have a great time seeing old friends and making new ones while getting exercise and not even realizing it. Dance is something kids can carry with them throughout their lives. Whether in a formal setting or an informal one, having comfort with their bodies and moving them to the beat is empowering.

Make it a Family Activity

Get moving with your kids to make it a family affair. Invest in bicycles, helmets, and then hit the trails. Pack a whole bunch of snacks and water bottles for everyone, or bring a lunch and a picnic blanket. Stop at a local park or nature preserve to explore for a while before biking back home. You will get bonus points if you bring a Frisbee and a few balls to play catch with.

If you live in a climate that receives snow in the winter, you can also rent skis once enough snow accumulates and go cross-country or downhill skiing. Most ski resorts or local park districts have ski rental programs, and many of the resorts also rent helmets. Check before you go to ensure everyone is safe while learning how to ski. And really, any activity or sport that interests you can be done together for an active family experience.

Motivate by Modeling

One of the best ways to encourage a more active lifestyle for your kids is to inspire them. You can do exactly that by modeling a life filled with physical fitness. You do not have to be a muscle-bound mom or a stick-thin parent. No. Instead, you just need to motivate them by example.

Show your kids how you enjoy going for a walk after dinner, or have fun meeting your friends for a Saturday morning Zumba class. Simply parking farther away from the shopping mall entrance or walking the dog more than once around the block are all good examples of moving your body and being active.

Promote a Green Thumb

Gardening and yard work are both physical activities. Even if you only plant a few seeds here and there, you are still out in the fresh air and sunshine doing work with your body. However, as you probably already know, gardening can become a lot more physical if you want it to be. Planting seeds is not always as easy as opening a packet and dumping out the seeds. You need to prepare the soil through weeding, hoeing, and raking. You may need to amend the soil or add more topsoil, both of which require lifting heavy bags of soil and moving wheelbarrows around the yard. Once everything is in the ground, you need to attend to the garden regularly to eliminate weeds, water the plants, and keep everything in order. 

Kids are great at these activities. They are generally quite eager to play around in the dirt, and the prospect of using a water hose can be a lot of fun for them.

As for yard work, that requires physical effort, as well. Pushing the lawnmower, bagging the clippings, raking leaves, and hauling it all to the compost pile or recycling center definitely becomes a workout.

Look for Active Gifts

There will always be a holiday to celebrate right around the corner and a reason to give your kids gifts. Even if there are no looming holidays on the horizon, you can celebrate your kids just because you love them. When you do, consider giving them gifts that encourage activity.

Some great examples of active gifts include these ideas:

• Trampoline with safety net
• Basketball hoop and basketball
• Pop-up soccer nets and a soccer ball
• Hula Hoop
• Jump ropes
• Badminton set
• Pickleball paddles, balls, and driveway net
• Swing set
• Backyard jungle gym

Any sport you can think of has a component you can probably bring into your home or backyard for added outdoor fun. 

Go on an Adventure

Adventures are always a fun idea. Just the idea will get your kids excited. Create a scavenger hunt and include items that are only found in nature. This will get them outside and exploring the neighborhood. 

If you have not tried Geocaching, this is the perfect time to begin. Your kids will need a smartphone to start, but you can go with them and use yours. This is a fun activity that requires geolocation and orienteering skills to locate certain hidden objects, or geocaches, that another participant has hidden in the area and logged onto the Geocaching website. 

There is a low barrier to entry for this activity; all you need is a smartphone with the Geocaching app installed, sunscreen, water, good shoes, and some small trinkets if you would like to leave something in the geocache when you find it. Sometimes the previous geocacher has left a trinket for you to keep. Other times, there will be a piece of paper for you to sign your name on that shows you were there. The thrill of the hunt is the reward in this activity.

Use these helpful ideas and create your own ways to get your kids moving every day. Show them the value of physical fitness and exercise by modeling good behavior, and bring everyone in the family for a great time together playing a new favorite sport.