How to Get Your Kids Excited About Being Active
It’s a hard fact to swallow that our children are not as exposed to the same active childhood that we were. Endless summers on the beach, and winter days spent in the backyard amusing ourselves; It’s hard to imagine childhood as anything else, until now. You don’t need a lesson on what has changed, but you may need a few tips on how to get your kids excited about being active. Perhaps they once were and you are looking to reactive that interest, or perhaps they are new to physical activity altogether. So, let’s get them off the couch, and into a sweat.
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Make it fun!
Walking has untold benefits, but it’s a hard sell to your kids who may have a different idea of fun. Behold the kids bike. Be prepared, because this will get them excited about being active and have them out of the house for as long as there is light. The best part about getting your kid bike riding is that there are unlimited paths, tracks and trails in any given city that they will never get to see them all. You can even start to bring bikes on your family holidays as an activity that will keep them active and engaged from arrival to departure.
Think outside the box
Our kids throw around the word ‘boring’ so easily. Lucky, we don’t take it seriously, as just about all the things we enjoy are tarnished with that very label. Take this as an opportunity to think outside the box and thoroughly delight them by suggesting an adventure sport they could only have ever dreamed of. Rock climbing is a hugely popular activity with kids, and one that can become a special occasion occurrence or a permanent fixture in your little one’s calendar. You will be the coolest parent alive for introducing your child to this sport, and they will feel like a dare devil while being completely supported – everyone wins!
Make it a group activity
No, this isn’t a way to get the parents together again. Although it’s a great side benefit. Initiating group activities and sports will teach your kids some fundamental learnings on teamwork and problem solving, and they are less likely to lose interest if all their friends are hooked into the same thing. When your kids transition from primary to secondary school they will likely be thrown into a different group of people and have different sports exposed to them. If they already have a competitive edge and a keen interest in sports, they will continue to follow this path and get even more fun from their games.
Functional fitness
Functional fitness refers to fitness that enhances your everyday movements and activity. That may not be a strong proposition to your kids, but it is one that will continue their good health and limber lifestyle. So, how can you integrate this into your lifestyle with a fun angle? Start being the family that is known for walking and catching public transport. When you need to head to the supermarket or return some books to the library, do so on foot and allow your kids to enjoy the journey and find fun in the most mundane physical activities. Not a bad disposition for a child to have.
Forging new habits isn’t always the most convenient of endeavors, but these have long term benefits and simply allow your kids to just have fun. If you challenge the whole family with keeping active (and enjoying yourself while you’re at it), it will be far more successful as everyone is geared in to the same goal.
These are all fun and super ideas! I do really like the Make it a group activity idea. I know my kids enjoyed having lots of kids around to enjoy the day.
I’m out and running and enjoy there!
I love active activities, rock climbing would be a blast, I havent taken my kids to do that yet.
Lot of great tips always good to be active
Awesome tips, my kids need to be more active and getting up and going is a chore for me
we def need functional fitness in our everyday lives it is very hard to exercise when always on the go go go …
Looks fun!
I know when my husband and I were kids growing up in the 70s we were outside playing much more than inside and we are so happy that when our 5 kids were growing up in the 90s and early 2000s that they were the same way.
Now we have a 2 yr old grandson from our middle daughter and she is passionate about adventures, being very active and fit and having lots of very physical fun and loves being outdoors so he is already learning to love all of that too from her good example. That makes me so happy for them!
Great tips! My boys are at the little league fields 5 days a week. They are either practicing, playing a game or playing on the playground.
We try to get our grand kids more active. We take them to the jump park they really love that place. My grand son would love the rock climbing
I’m trying to get my kids to be more active. It’s hard when school hours are so long and they’re exhausted when they get home.
These are fun activities to get the kids out for fun and exercise.
I think that’s true physical activity can be made into fun time especially when with friends. I think that’s so great.
Those are such great ideas.
These are some great ideas to help get our kids up and moving.
There are so many choices for kids to find activities that suit them. Good to expose them to a variety so they can choose what suits them.
My daughter is a gamer but spent a lot of time on the couch. I decided for her 16th bday to do an extreme superhero bday party, there was a rock climbing wall, zip lining, paintball, and other fun activities at a local adventure park, it definitely got her and a few other kids off the couch and into some fun activities for the day.
These are fun ideas. Great ways to get kids out and active!
I would love to share with my Granddaughter
Such good ideas! Thanks for sharing.
This looks like fun
These are awesome suggestions for getting kids active! Thank you so much for sharing. My kids absolutely love going on adventures, especially outdoors!
Thanks for the great info. I’m going to share it with my daughter for her son.