Young children are bursting with energy and eagerness to explore the world around them, but often it’s hard to find ways to keep them entertained while also helping them lead active and healthy lifestyles. Here are some physical activity ideas that will be both fun and beneficial for your little ones, giving them plenty of opportunities to be playful and stay fit!
1. Get Moving! Fun Physical Activity for Kids
As parents, we’re often looking for ways to get our children up and moving. Kids favor activities that are enjoyable and educational. We’ve rounded up some of the best physical activity options for kids that combine the two for endless fun.
Obstacle Course
An obstacle course is an outdoor or indoor activity that can be changed based on the size and skills of the participants. To make it fun, place items from around the house that can be used as objects to avoid like jump ropes or even a sprinkler can work. You can also teach your child to hop on one foot, weave through a line of chairs, and crawl through a tunnel. Fun, and educational!
Dance It Up
Put on some fun tunes and have your kids create a dance routine or interpret the rhythm. Maybe challenge them to invent a new dance form or rhythm. Ask them to incorporate elements of existing dance styles or even incorporate some hand motions— the possibilities are endless. Watching your kids have a blast getting creative while dancing will have you dancing too!
Yoga and Stretching
Yoga and stretching are important for growing bodies, aiding physical and emotional development, and promoting healthy habits. It helps your little ones learn to take care of their bodies and feel comfortable with their bodies. They’ll also improve their balance, enhance their concentration, and awaken their creativity. Introducing them to a little yoga exercise can be fun and rewarding.
Hiking and Nature Walks
When the weather’s nice, nothing beats an outdoor physical activity. Head out and explore nature’s majesty. Going on a hike or nature walk not only gets them moving but can give them a sense of appreciation for nature. They’ll learn new things as they observe animals, plants, and other forms of nature in their natural habitat.
Capture the Flag
An old-school favorite, capture the flag is a timeless game that you can play in a backyard or on a school playground. Children will learn about a sense of community, team spirit, and organization. It encourages cooperation, as well as lateral thinking, strategy, and tactical thinking. Plus, they’ll get plenty of fast-paced running, jumping, and dodging as well!
2. Enjoy Movement; Reap the Rewards
Movement is not only beneficial to our health, but can also energize us when we’re feeling low, help us clear our minds and offer a creative outlet. By incorporating movement into our daily routines, we can reap unique rewards for our bodies, minds and spirits.
- Physically, exercise has many scientifically-proven benefits. Movement helps us build strength, reduce weight, combat diseases, increase bone density and improve balance. We’re also more likely to feel a sense of accomplishment when we see physical changes happen in our bodies.
- Mentally, movement can create a blank slate for our minds, allowing us to be more creative and productive in our day-to-day tasks. Exercising can also help us focus, reduce stress, and promote better sleep.
- Most importantly, movement helps us to find joy and peace in our minds and in our lives. Dancing, for example, can provide us with an amazing sense of freedom and connection with ourselves, while team-oriented activities may foster improved social interaction.
We don’t have to be hardcore athletes to benefit from movement: the important thing is to find an activity we truly enjoy and incorporate it into our daily routines. The mind and body rewards of movement are infinite and so are the creative possibilities. Let’s exercise our curiosity and put our bodies to work; the rewards of movement are too great to miss out on.
3. Creative Ways to Keep Kids BeFIT
1. Take it Outdoors
Outdoor activities are a great way to keep kids motivated in physical activity. Outdoor adventures like camping, hikes, jogging and skiing can make for exciting workouts. Incorporate a session of frisbee or tag to keep things interesting. Plus, the fresh air and natural beauty of outdoor activities can help to keep kids in inspired moods.
2. Make it Fun
Kids don’t realize that being active can be a fun experience. Developmental-age appropriate exercises and activities can foster physical, cognitive, emotional and social development. To make exercising more fun, try activities that have a competitive edge such as a game of rainbow tag or ‘monkey in the middle’.
3. Get Creative with Yoga
Yoga is a great activity for children. Enhancing motor skills, calming their minds, and connecting to their bodies – yoga is beneficial in many ways. Kids are naturally drawn to activities that use props so why not incorporate a bit of yoga with bean-bags, balls, balloon and hula hoops. It will help them focus and have fun as well.
4. Get Moving with Music
Playing and dancing to tunes can be a great workout experience for kids. Use easy-to-follow dance routines or fun party moves to get kids moving. Use instruments or pots and pans to add rhythm and energy, or dress up in costumes for added fun. It’s an engaging way to get creative and activate physical fitness.
4. Healthy Habits for an Active Life
Having a healthy lifestyle means paying attention to every aspect of your life, especially your fitness habits. Being physically active can have a positive impact on your mental, physical, and emotional well-being, so it’s important to maintain healthy habits to get the most out of your active life. Here are some tips to help you do just that.
1. Stay Hydrated
Being properly hydrated is essential for athletic performance and recovery. Drinking enough water throughout the day–regardless of activity level–can help your body stay at peak efficiency and promote better body functioning in general. Keep a refillable bottle of water handy to ensure that you have easy access to it no matter what you are doing.
2. Eat Right
For an active lifestyle, it is important to fuel your body with the right kinds of food. Eating a balanced diet will help keep your energy reserves full and promote better physical and mental performance. Focus on lean proteins, fruits, vegetables, and healthy fats as part of your daily diet.
3. Get Enough Sleep
Getting enough quality sleep is essential to maintain optimum performance on any physical activity. Get at least seven hours of sleep every night to keep your energy reserves full and to ensure proper recovery and repair of your muscle tissue after strenuous activity.
4. Strengthen Your Muscles
Strengthening your muscles is key to preventing injury and promoting better performance. Incorporate strength training into your fitness routine to strengthen your muscles, build muscle endurance, and help you stay injury-free. Try exercises such as squats, push-ups, planks, and lunges to effectively target all of your major muscle groups.
5. Plan Ahead
When it comes to physical activity, it’s important to plan ahead. Having an idea of what workout you are going to do, and when you are going to do it, will not only help you stay consistent but will also help you stay focused and motivated. Plan your workouts for at least one week in advance to make it easier to stick to your plan and maximize your results.
6. Mix it Up
Break up the monotony of the same workouts by switching up your routine. Go for a run one day and try a Spinning class the next. Your body does best when it is constantly challenged, so vary your workouts to avoid plateauing and to keep your body guessing. Variety is key when it comes to maintaining an active and healthy lifestyle.
So remember to encourage your children to get moving and enjoy physical activity, and use our playful ideas to do just that! It’s never too early to get your children into physical activity, and the benefits they receive in health and happiness could last a lifetime.