More than any other time in history, children today have access to a plethora of electronic devices that are designed to communicate with others, access the internet and are geared towards entertainment. Most children are satisfied with staying indoors and playing games on their computers or chatting on the internet than going outdoors and doing anything physical. Unfortunately, studies have shown that technology is partly to blame for the lack of physical activity in children today.
It has been proven that physically active children are healthier children. But how do parents get their children interested in physical activities when barriers such as TV shows, computer games, cell phones and other gaming devices have their children’s attention?
Outdoor Trips can Motivate Children to become More Active
Because active children are healthy children, the goal of every parent and teacher should be to incite children to partake in physical activities as much as possible. There are many ways to get children outside and there are many places and things for them to do. Some outdoor places parents can take their children are local parks and playgrounds, theme parks, malls, miniature golf courses or any place outside of the house. Getting children outside away from all of the electronic gadgets at home is one thing, getting kids to become physically active is another thing altogether.
Keeping Your Children Active
It is hard to believe, but many children today have never played at or have been to a local playground or park. All children have a desire to play. If given an opportunity to play outside, most children will get involved without much coaching. Many local parks and playground have either monkey bars, a slide, swings or other kinds of fun structures that kids can play on. The best exercise for kids is the kind they don’t realize they are doing. Climbing on monkey bars, up and down stairs, sliding down the slide and swinging on the swings are natural way to keep your kids active. Because active children are healthy children, being consistent about taking your kids outdoors is vitally important for their health.
Benefits of Children being Active Regularly
Children that are physically active on a weekly basis are healthier than those children who don’t have any outdoor activities. The benefits your children will experience with regular exercise are listed below.
- Stronger bones and muscles
- Sleep better/ less restlessness
- Better weight management/control
- Greater ability to concentrate at home and at school
- Lowers their risk of developing diabetes
Active children are healthy children. Introducing the beautiful outdoors to your children, by taking them to local playgrounds and parks is an ideal way for them to get the physical activity that they need and gives parents the opportunity to spend more quality time with their children.
Article Provided by Kompan