With restrictions still in place over what sports we can play, it’s more important than ever to ensure kids remain fit and active. In an age of game consoles and social media, it’s very easy for kids to fall into a cycle of limited activity. So, how do you keep kids fit and healthy and help them enjoy moving their limbs and playing outdoors? Follow some of the tips below for keeping kids active, helping them build up strong muscles, and ave some fun along the way!
Join in the fun
Simply banning the games console or telling your kid to get more active isn’t enough, you need to lead by example and get out there with them. By taking a kid out on a trip to the swimming pool and helping them learn to swim, or by going out in the garden and playing a game of catch, you can have quality family time whilst helping them get active. Kids are typically more enthusiastic about trying new things if they’re not on their own or know that you’re supporting them. It can be hard after a day at work to find the energy, but as long as you do it every now and then you can still inspire them to do more.
Encourage new sports
If your kid doesn’t show much interest in sports, or perhaps only likes one sport, this shouldn’t discourage you from trying to get them interested in something else. Find out why your kid doesn’t like a certain sport and reverse engineer it to find something they like. For example, if they don’t like baseball because they find it too boring, try to find something that is more fun while still keeping kids active. Conversely, if they don’t like football because there are too many rules to learn, try, and play something with more straightforward rules. There are loads of fun sports to play that they might not even be aware of like tennis, badminton, and basketball.
Buy new sporty toys
Nothing can inspire kids to get outdoors more than a brand new toy to play with. Kids get bored of things easily, even if they had an amazing outdoor trampoline a couple of years ago, they’ll probably have had enough of it by now. It doesn’t have to be something particularly expensive, keeping kids active and making sure they have fun can inspire them to use their imagination. There are so many things you could get them, a space hopper, the Pindaloo skill toy, spikeball game set or simply a new ball, Good Old Gifts have lots of good sporty gift ideas if you’re not sure what to get. A NinjaLine obstacle course is a great outdoor toy that is sure to work at keeping kids active and making sure they have fun.
Join a Club
Look to see if there are any sports clubs open in your local area that your kids could sign up to. It’s easy to fall out of the routine of keeping active unless you have regular days in the calendar that are dedicated to outdoor activities. Make sure you go down and show your support to them as much as possible. If there aren’t any clubs open for the sport you kid is interested in then you can always look at starting up a club yourself. Ask other local parents if their kids would be interested and go for it!
Keeping kids active by making sure they are interested in outdoor activities at a young age can also have great positive health effects for their future. People tend to have less energy when they get old and are less likely to want to learn new things, so doing this at an early age is really important. Hopefully, you liked these tips on keeping kids active and keeping your family healthy. I hope you will be inspired to get outdoors and create some fun, lasting memories with your kids.
