If you have children, it can be a nightmare trying to get them to go outside and get some fresh air. Too many kids today just want to stay indoors playing on video games and watching TV, but they need to get some exercise and start to get fit. How can you persuade your little ones to start enjoying themselves in the great outdoors? Here are some top tips to help point you in the right direction.
Why Experts Suggest Physical Exercises are great for Children?
If you talk to some of the leading educationists and children counsellors, they will try to answer why are enrichment programs important for kids. Many state that kids that are engaged to outside games develop better communication skills and motor reflexes. Rather than giving a smartphone to a three-year-old, parents should look to engage their minds and bodies in much healthier ways. Simple enrichment can make a world of difference when it comes to the mental and physical development of children.
Set Up A Backyard Camp
If the weather is fine, why not set up your own backyard campground? The kids will love playing outside in a pop up tent and will love sleeping out under the stars when night time rolls around. You’ll struggle to get them to come back indoors afterwards!
Install A Basketball Hoop
Get your kids playing outside and making friends in the neighborhood at the same time by installing a basketball hoop in your front yard! Your kids will love shooting hoops and the kids who live in the street will be keen to come around and join in the fun. If you can’t install a hoop permanently because of your community association rules, there’s no need to worry. A portable hoop is just as good and you have the added advantage of being able to move it between locations as you need to. Visit this website to find out more about how to choose the best portable hoop for you.
Do A Treasure Hunt
This involves a little effort on your behalf, but it’ll be well worth it to see your kids having great fun outside. You can set up your own treasure hunt for the kids to follow. Leave them clues around the neighborhood with a treat at the end. If you put enough thought into it, it could keep your kids busy for hours, and you could even boost their educational skills by including math and geography problems in your clues!
Take A Nature Walk
Even if you have older children, a nature walk can be a great idea. The whole family can get outdoors into the fresh air and explore the local countryside. No matter which season you’re heading out into, you’ll always find something to gather and collect along the way. Perhaps you’ll pick some wild flowers for pressing and turning into framed pictures, or perhaps you can collect pine cones for spray painting and turning into a table centrepiece. The kids will have a lot of fun and you’ll get some exercise too!
Head To The Beach
If you’re lucky enough to live close to a lake or the coast, take some time out to head to the beach. If it’s a sunny day, it’s a no brainer that this is a great way to get your kids to have fun in the great outdoors while also getting some exercise. Swimming, surfing and snorkelling are just some of the activities that they can enjoy, leaving plenty of sunbathing time for you to catch up on your tan and reading your favorite novel! However, even if it’s a winter day, you can still have a lot of fun at the beach. If you’re all wearing coats and hats, you can still dig and make sandcastles, and you can enjoy the bracing air along the waterfront. Afterwards, there’s always time for a sweet treat at a local café where you can cool off or warm up depending on the weather!
Take A Bike Ride
Most kids have bikes, and which kid doesn’t love riding about the neighborhood? If you’re lucky enough to have cycle paths in your area, make use of them by going on family bike rides. Otherwise, if you want to avoid cycling on main roads, head out into the countryside and hit the trails. You’ll all enjoy yourselves in the fresh air and get some valuable exercise at the same time.
Hopefully, these top tips will have given you some brilliant ideas about ways to get your kids outdoors and having fun. Once you’ve suggested a few of these activities, you might find that your kids willing go outdoors without you asking them to!
