Great Ways to Encourage Children to Be More Active

Getting children to be active is increasingly difficult, with games and TV at the forefront in most children’s lives. Getting our children to be more active will keep them in good health, help them sleep better at night and do better in school. Below are 5 great ways to encourage children to be more active (and perhaps be a little more active yourself too!)

Get Some Outdoor Toys

If you have a garden, get some great toys for your children to play with. This will encourage them to spend more time outdoors, getting that much-needed Vitamin D! There are plenty of inexpensive toys that can keep your children entertained for hours, such as tennis rackets, footballs, frisbees and even outdoor bowling sets. Whether you choose to play with your children or sit outside with them, this will continue to encourage them to get outdoors and stay active. If they don’t have any siblings to play with, why not invite a friend from school or a neighbour. If you are willing to spend a bit more money and have a big garden, why not purchase a climbing frame or even a treehouse!

Be a Role Model

As we all know, children watch everything that we do and learn from this. If you are constantly telling your children the benefits of getting active whilst you sit on your phone on the sofa, they are not going to take you seriously. Take this time to be more active too. Join in with sports and family games, release your inner child, and have some fun! Not only will you feel good, but your children will look up to you as a role model and will want to be more active.

Set Restrictions on Screen Time

One of the biggest setbacks in getting children to be outside and be active is technology. When all of their friends are doing the same thing, it can be hard to convince them that spending time outdoors with their family or siblings is better than chatting to their friends online and playing games. Setting restrictions on technology means your children are more likely to be active and get outdoors.

Play Sports as a Family

There are tons of sports that can be enjoyed as a family, no matter what your family size! Whether you want to get out and practice pitching baseball or you have a whole team of players to get a weekly game going, baseball is a great family sport that provides plenty of fun! If you need your own baseball gloves, check out this buying guide. Other great family sports include golf, boxing, cycling, basketball, soccer, and for the more adventurous: roller skating or skateboarding.

Active Days Out

There are plenty of fun activities that can be enjoyed as a family, making family days out more active. If you want to try something new and exciting, try taking your children to a water sports facility, where they can have a go at canoeing or kayaking. There are other fun ways to get active without it feeling like exercises, such as ice skating, laser tag or go-karting. Buy your family a set of bicycles and have days out where you discover new parts of your neighbourhood and take a picnic with you. Start hiking with your children and discovering the beautiful areas around you. With so many ideas out there, getting your children to be more active has never been easier.

These 5 tips can help you to encourage your children to be more active. The more fun they have, the more active they will want to be. Join in and be a role model and be sure to restrict screen-time so your child can have a healthy balance.