• Physical activity is necessary for kids’ physical and mental health, as it helps maintain a healthy weight and develop social skills.
• Creating a playful space in the living room or backyard can involve jigsaw puzzles, bean bags, or swimming pools.
• Organizing activities like family race days, fitness games, and scavenger hunts can help keep kids motivated.
• Make physical activity fun by not being too strict, avoiding competition, and rewarding good behavior.
In this day and age, with all the technology at your fingertips, it can be difficult to keep kids physically active. Kids love playing video games, watching television, and using their phones—but those activities do nothing to help them stay fit and healthy. Finding ways to keep kids physically active even when stuck inside the house is important.
Why Physical Fitness Matters
Kids need physical activity to keep them healthy, both mentally and physically. Regular physical activity helps kids stay at a healthy weight, develops their skills in sports or other activities, maintains strong bones and muscles, and reduces stress. It also increases self-confidence and promotes better sleep patterns.
When kids are physically active, they also enjoy socializing with others and learning how to work together as a team. They learn important communication, cooperation, problem-solving, and goal-setting lessons that will stay with them for life. It doesn’t have to mean playing organized sports, either—just getting up and moving around can profoundly affect kids’ physical and mental well-being. With that, here are a few tips for keeping kids physically active at home:
Creating a Playful Space
The first step is to create a space in your home where physical activity can occur. This could be an area of the living room, an extra bedroom, or even the backyard. Once you have a designated space for playtime, it’s time to start filling it with fun activities. Here are some options:
In the Living Room
Especially when the weather is bad, having a few activities inside the house is important. A large jigsaw puzzle can be spread out on the floor (or even a table) and enjoyed by all ages. Soft foam blocks are great for stacking and creating towers or castles. Tossing bean bags or playing catch with a softball are also fun ways to get kids moving.
In the Backyard
If you have a backyard, there are even more possibilities for physical activity. Simple games like tag or hide-and-seek can get kids running around. If you have space and resources, consider installing a swimming pool. A swimming pool construction company can help you design and build the perfect swimming pool for your family. They can also customize the space to fit your activities and preferences.
Organizing Activities
Once you have your play space set up and filled with toys and activities, it’s time to start developing ideas for how to use them! You could organize the following activities:
Family Race Day
Organize a family race day in the backyard. Set up an obstacle course, create races of different lengths, and let everyone compete against each other. Use every obstacle you have—swimming pool, trampoline, and playground equipment—to make the race more interesting.
Fitness Games
Put on some upbeat music and let your kids dance or do aerobics with you. You can also create a fitness circuit using different exercise stations in your backyard. Include squats, push-ups, jumping jacks, and other exercises your kids can do.
Scavenger Hunt
Make the activities challenging by setting up a scavenger hunt in the backyard. Hide items and have kids search for them. Ensure the items are age-appropriate so young children don’t get frustrated trying to find something too difficult.
Making it Fun
The key here is making physical activity fun! If your kids don’t think what they are doing is enjoyable, they won’t be motivated enough to keep doing it. Here are things you can do to make it enjoyable:
Don’t Be Too Strict
Keeping a watchful eye on safety is important, but don’t be too restrictive. Let your kids use their imagination and explore how far they can go with different activities. Give them the freedom to experiment and enjoy the process of learning something new.
Don’t Incorporate Competition
Competing with family and friends should be discouraged. This will only encourage unhealthy competition and can lead to disappointment. Instead, focus on the process of having fun and enjoying a physical activity together.
Reward Good Behavior
Give your kids rewards for staying active and participating in activities. These could be small tokens like stickers or coins they can collect and use for a reward. This will help them stay motivated and keep coming back for more!
Physical activity is an important part of any child’s life. With the right space, activities, and attitude, you can help your kids stay healthy and active even when stuck inside the house! So get creative, have fun, and keep your kids fit!
