Ten ways to be active with your kids

Physical activity helps children strengthen their bones, maintain a healthy weight and discover the world around them. Better yet, it’s a lot of fun.

All children should be physically active for at least one hour a day. You can help by encouraging your child to find activities that they enjoy, and by engaging in physical activity in the family’s life. Most kids like to run around the park or play on the playground.

One of the reasons why physical activity in childhood is important is that it helps your child maintain a healthy weight. 

But that is not the only reason. However, physical activity is one of the children’s ways to discover the world and themselves. It helps build strong and healthy muscles and bones, as well as improves self-confidence.  

You can find tips on eating well and doing family activities on Change Forever.

University of Bristol professor of exercise and health sciences, Ken Fox, has 10 suggestions that will make exercise fun for the whole family. 

Ten tips for activities for children

1. Walking or cycling to and from school with children whenever possible. .

2. Build a cubicle or barn with them during the school holidays. Or, under supervision, encourage them to climb a tree or two.

3. Go skiing, riding double-wheeled or four-wheeled latches, indoors or outdoors. In winter, just go snowboarding. Children also love the scooters.

4. Do challenging activities together, like working for a marathon or a charity walk.

5. Take your dog for a walk. If you don’t have one, ask to borrow your neighbor’s dog or a friend’s dog to take for a walk.

6. Support your children in sports, clubs or any other activities that they may be interested in. Joining a weekend gym affirms commitment to team and regular exercise. Find all kinds of sports facilities in your area.

7. Find a time at the end of each week to do an activity with your children. Play discus, lawn soccer, trampoline or indoor rock climbing.

8. Play with the kite. The Kite Association puts up from the Great Britain website a number of groups that meet regularly for several days devoted to flying kites with experienced individuals providing advice and assistance. Some also run some kite-making workshops.

9. Try to take a beach vacation. When they come into contact with sand, children will find many ways to exercise, including games, swimming and a lot of running. Or try an activity vacation. Read more about healthy holidays with kids and activity holidays.

10. The National Parks website has lists of events such as organized outings and fun days for kids, to get some fresh ideas for spending days outside for activities