As children get older, there will be more and more distractions for them. Computer games, games consoles, friends, and other activities can all be a distraction from wanting to get outdoors. When children are younger, they will follow your lead and if you’re heading out on a walk, then they will be coming with you too. But as your children get older, and if they don’t already have a love of the outdoors, how can you help them to get outside more and enjoy all that nature has to offer? Here are some ideas to help.
If you want to encourage older children to get outside with you, then it is wise to think about involving food in some way. It could be that you choose to go for a breakfast picnic with them, or perhaps you just decide to eat out in the backyard on a warm summer evening. When they’re outside for the food, it makes it easier to then go for a walk or play in the yard as they are out there already.
Make it more fun
Just saying to the kids that you’re all going on a hike can feel a little dull and boring, especially if their other option is playing a bright and shiny new game online with their friends. So you need to think of ways to make it more fun. For example, if you want to take your children fishing, then make sure you get something like a jika rig to make the process easier for them. If you’re thinking of going camping, then incorporate something like making s’mores, to make the whole thing much more enjoyable for them. If you are focusing more on making your backyard more fun for them, why not think about installing a pool? There are websites such as https://premierpoolsandspas.com/locations/ that can help you with finding a builder for your pool. It’s great exercise and it will certainly get them out from behind that computer as they’ll be outside in the fresh air having fun.
Take the indoors outdoors
If you have children that just want to play with their Lego or read books, then how about bringing that outside? They could read in a hammock outside or bring games and toys to the park or to the backyard to play with. Then they get the best of both worlds, doing what they want to do, all the while being in nature and soaking up some all important vitamin D from the sun.
Create a scavenger hunt
Even if they don’t want to admit it, there aren’t many children that don’t enjoy hunting for something, especially if there is some kind of reward at the end of it all. By creating a scavenger hunt for your children, you could get them into the woods, the local park, or just in their backyard, searching for things in nature, getting them moving, and having lots of fun at the same time.
One of the key things as parents is that we need to lead by example. If you’re reluctant to get outdoors, then it will be no surprise that your children are that way inclined too. Be enthusiastic when you talk about your plans and outdoor activities, talk about the benefits, and make sure that activities are planned in order to get you all outdoors exploiting and enjoying nature.
If you’d like to pass on your love of sports to your kids, there are a number of things you can try. When it comes to getting kids interested in a specific activity or subject, you need to be gentle in your approach. You don’t want to force your kids into doing something they don’t really want to do, and they should enthusiastically want to pursue this interest. Your child may have their own interests and hobbies that they would prefer to focus on, and that’s fine. All children should be encouraged to follow their interests and passions, so that they can grow up knowing exactly who they are and the difference they want to make in the world. However, if you want to give your child the opportunity to get into sports and potentially safeguard their health for life, take a look at the following pointers.
Lead By Example
Leading by example is one of the most important things you can do as a parent. You can tell your kids how to behave, for example, not to shout, but if you’re constantly shouting they will copy you. Whether you realize it or not, your kids are watching you and paying attention. When you lead by example, they will be far more likely to ask you questions, and potentially ask to try the sport themselves off their own back. Make time for your chosen sport, look after your health, and show them how wonderful it can be to have a sport as a hobby.
Do Sports Together
Partaking in sports together, as a family, can be an amazing way to stay healthy, bond, and instill healthy habits and hobbies into your children. Even a simple game in the garden together can make sports fun and it’s your opportunity to teach them a thing or two. Kids will likely cherish these memories, as they will love the quality time you enjoyed together. It also helps them to avoid spending too much time in front of the TV or computer, and gets them some fresh air.
Don’t pick just one sport for your child early on. You may want them to fall in love with your chosen sport, but that may not be their natural inclination. This doesn’t mean they won’t want to try it in the future, or even come back to it at some point. However, encouraging them to try different sports based on what they are interested in and what they would actually like to try will benefit them tenfold. They get to explore new terrain, figuring out what sort of sports they like and what sort of sports they don’t. They also don’t feel under pressure to continue with a sport that they may not like all that much. Try not to make it a big deal when they are young, as kids are often terrified of disappointing their parents. Quitting a sport doesn’t make them a failure: it means they are not wasting time in finding the sport they’d like to stick to.
Stay Positive
Being a positive parent and providing positive reinforcement is key. This isn’t about telling your kids that they are natural football players and amazing at everything they do, though. This is about praising them for the effort they are putting in, and being specific about the improvements they are making. Kids need to see early on that effort = improvement. If they believe they should be ‘naturals’ at things, they will grow up reluctant to put too much effort into anything if they are not immediately good at it. Sure, some people are born with talent, but that doesn’t mean all hope is lost if your child doesn’t display any right away. With commitment and determination, your child can be whatever they want to be. Your attitude towards them while they try can make a huge difference to their overall mindset and results. Try not to push your own limiting beliefs onto your children, even if you think you’re being ‘realistic’. Don’t show your disappointment if they don’t get something right away, or if they don’t start winning games at school automatically. If they feel like they are letting you down, they will eventually want to quit. Being a supportive, positive parent will help them to feel safe and will make them more likely to try new things in the future, in spite of the fact they may fail. In fact, failure should be encouraged! It’s a fantastic learning curve and many of the greats failed before they succeeded. This is a far better lesson to pass on to your kids.
Don’t Force Anything
Don’t force your kids to do things that they don’t want to do. While committing to practicing a sport can take up a lot of their free time, you don’t want it to feel like a job for them. Be realistic about how much they should be practicing/playing and how much downtime they need. Even if your child is enthusiastic about their practice, they will need to take recovery periods to avoid injury and ensure they aren’t overdoing it. A child can quickly burn out and lose their enthusiasm if they feel like they are doing too much. Don’t worry about them being put on the bench for having some time to rest. They are young, and they really do have plenty of time to practice and get better. Rest and recovery is all a part of the process.
Accept The Sport They Want To Focus On
Eventually, your child may tell you that they want to focus on a specific sport. If you’ve let them experiment with different sports, they will have a much better idea of what they prefer to do. Accept the sport they want to focus on and support them. So many parents express frustration and disappointment with kids who don’t want to follow in their footsteps, but your child is not a mini version of you. They should be encouraged to be their own authentic selves, and they will thrive when you allow them to focus on the things they are passionate about.
Watch Sports Together
Watching sports together can help to inspire your children, and is another great bonding activity. Whether you watch the NHL season highlights together at home with popcorn, or you go to games and soak in the electric atmosphere, this is an amazing way to get your child interested and passionate in various games. Now, while sports can be a sensitive topic for some, it’s a good idea to try not to scream and shout as you watch them. It’s totally fine to be enthusiastic, sing, and even express disappointment, but if you’re going to keep sports a positive and healthy outlet for your child, you should do your best to keep your emotions in check. There are many angry sportsmen out there who hate it and lash out when things don’t go their way, and the last thing you want is for your child to become one of them. Being passionate is great, but your child needs to understand that losing or missing is not the end of the world.
Focus On Helping Them To Cultivate A Healthy Lifestyle
Along with everything else, helping your child to cultivate a healthy lifestyle will improve their games, and could help them to become enthusiastic about trying sports in the future. Eat balanced diets, go on walks together, encourage regular bedtimes, and make sure they know how to practice self care. Your kids are never too young to understand the importance of keeping their stress levels at bay and paying attention to their bodies!
Are you worried that your child is starting to get unfit and developing an unhealthy lifestyle? You might be interested in ways that you can correct this and there a few quick possibilities to consider.
There is plenty of tech available on the market that will help ensure that your kids stay healthy and fit. This is all about keeping them moving with some experts suggesting that staying still for too long can be just as damaging to your health as smoking. VR and AR games are a great option here. A couple years ago, Pokemon Go had everyone on the street searching for digital pocket monsters.
Alternatively, games like Jedi Training will have kids swinging around a virtual lightsaber, fighting classic Star Wars enemies. It doesn’t take much time to learn that this is quite an intense workout. You might even want to try it yourself if you’ve always dreamed of going one to one with Darth Vader.
Of course, for older kids, you can also consider tech like a Fit Bit. It’s quite fun to use resources like this to keep on top of your fitness and find out just how much exercise you are getting through the day.
Find A Sport They Love
It’s easy to assume that your kid just isn’t a sporty individual if they haven’t immediately gravitated towards a team or activity in school. However, this might not be the case. It’s possible that they simply haven’t yet discovered the sport that they enjoy. There are lots of options here from swimming to football and even skiing. You’ll only figure out if a sport is for them by helping them give it a go. Try to give them as many opportunities as you can because you never know when you might find a sport that becomes a passion.
Don’t forget, getting involved in sports won’t just help them with levels of fitness. It can also be a fantastic benefit for them later in life as well. Once you find a sport they love you can kit them out and save money at the same time with things like a Dicks Sporting Goods coupon. Remember, staying fit doesn’t have to be expensive.
Join In
A child is far more likely to exercise and run around if you join in with them. This is particularly true for younger children who will love spending time with you and playing games. This is why it’s important for you to stay fit and healthy as well. You need to make sure that you have the energy to engage in all these different types of activities.
You might even want to consider setting points through the week where the whole family can get together and get active. There is even strength training available for little ones with experts suggesting that it could be highly beneficial.
Lifestyle Choices
Last but not least, you can help ensure that fitness is a part of a child’s daily routine. Introduce quick, fast workouts through the day. Exercising when you wake up in the morning is a great way to make sure that you are building up energy the right way.
An at-home dad on a mission to keep it real when it comes to food, fun, and raising a healthy, happy family.
