6 Outdoor Activities To Keep Children Physical Active
Back in the day when we grew up, all we did was go outside and play with our friends. Today, our children aren’t spending their free time outside playing and exploring. They have multiple screens they spend their day sitting and watching. The lack of physical activity usually happens during the summer when they are out of school.
The Center for Disease Control and Prevention recommends children and teenagers do at least one hour of exercising daily. CDC shows that physically active children have better grades, improved cognitive performance (such as memory and concentration), and classroom behaviors.
To encourage your children to stop watching videos & texting, here are five activities to keep them active this summer.
- Encourage children to help you with gardening
One way to keep children active during the summer is to assign chores around gardening. Make them lawn, pick out weeds, water the trees, or even plant new plants and herbs. In this way, they will be outside engaging all their muscles while doing the work.
Moreover, gardening is an excellent activity to help them connect with nature.
- Enroll them in a local summer program
Check out your local community centers, churches, or YMCAs. Usually, they have summer programs that involve various sports. You can discuss with your child the options he has and let them choose the one that excites him the most.
In this way, your child can stay active and make new friends.
- Motivate your kids to ride a bike, skateboard, or rollerblade
Most of the kids like to roll on wheels. It is fun and keeps them active. Motivate them to go out in the neighborhood and stroll with their bikes or skateboards.
If your neighborhood is not safe for kids to ride, go to a park or find a parking lot where they can exercise. Don’t forget the helmet!
- Organize a scavenger hunt
Scavenger hunts are always fun. Create a list of items children need to find around the house. If you want to up the game, you can create a list of chores they need to perform to unlock the rewards.
Children will be active and happy, without even noticing they are exercising.
- Make a weekly habit of spending time outdoor together
Plan to go outdoors as a family during the summer. It can be a hike, a walk in the park, going to the beach, or a creek near your house.
Outdoor family activities help children (and you) be physically active as well as bond together. Spending time with your kids is the best gift you can give them.
- Buy toys that stimulate your children to play outside
When you buy toys like basketballs, jump ropes, footballs, you encourage them to play physically active games. These outdoor games are perfect for them to stay healthy and spend time with their neighborhood friends. If your yard is big enough, they can even stage a dodge ball competition. They will shed sweat, enjoy their time, and bond with their friends.
Takeaways
Physical activity plays an essential role in child development. The lack of physical activity can impact their growth as well as diminish their academic performance. That is why it is crucial to encourage your children to be active during the summer.