Disclosure – this is a collaborative post.
It can be a challenge to get your kids to put down their screens and go outside, but there are lots of ways to encourage kids to get fit and have fun at the same time. You can stimulate their health with more fresh air and new experiences that will help them develop different skills and mindsets.
Tricks for Getting Your Kids to Play Outside
You will have to set some boundaries to make your kids turn off the TV and put down their tablets, but if you stick with it and stay consistent, your kids will learn to love being in the great outdoors. Here are some tricks to get them outside during playtime:
– Set maximum daily or weekly screen time limits. Set a timer to ensure that neither you nor your kids are unaware when they reach the limit.
– Don’t complain about the mess. If they get dirty or wet whilst playing outside, they’ll need to clean up, but don’t make them feel bad about any messy consequences of being outdoors.
– Encourage imaginative play with natural elements. Show your kids how they can use natural things outside to augment their games, such as climbing on boulders, jumping off of tree stumps, balancing on logs, or playing and building with sand, wood, and gravel.
– Explore near your home. Take your kids to the woods or nearby parks and go on nature walks or exploratory adventures.
– Give your kids outdoor toys and games. If you designate specific toys and activities as outdoor-only, you can make playing outside more exclusive. Stock up on things such as sidewalk chalk, jump ropes, hula hoops, shovels and buckets, and sporting equipment that they can only use outside.
– Plant a garden. Kids love being tactile, and it can be thrilling to plant a vegetable or flower garden so that they can experience the wonder and pride of watching things grow.
– Stimulate outdoor play with your children’s’ friends. Organize an outdoor scavenger hunt, plan a playdate in a local park, or take your kids and some of their friends to a local park or playground for a picnic.
Kid-Friendly and Fitness-Centric Sporting Equipment
As you stock your kids’ outdoor toy box with games and equipment they can use outside, there are some fantastic toys and sports items to consider:
– Jump Ropes & Hula Hoops – Get your kids moving with games and contests using jump ropes and hula hoops. These items are easy for kids of most ages to use, increasing their skill and endurance as they get older. You can host competitive talent contests from your patio or deck, where your children can do tricks and try to see whom can twirl or jump the longest. If your child doesn’t have any siblings, consider providing them with a skip ball toy so they can play alone if the neighbor children are unavailable to play. There are plenty of jump rope rhymes and songs to keep them entertained and get them to do some cardiovascular exercise without even knowing.
– Trampolines – Kids of any age can bounce, roll, and get some fitness as they play on trampolines in the backyard. Your yard may be the envy of the neighbor kids as well, encouraging your children and their friends to safely play at your home where you can keep a close eye on them.
– Electric Bikes & Scooters – You can arrange some fun adventures as a family or with friends as long as everyone has something exciting to ride. These fat tyre bikes are fun for the whole family, and there are lots of electric scooters and other powered devices to encourage your kids to race each other and more. Be sure to require that they wear the necessary safety gear to ride safely.
– Sports Implements – Stock your children’s’ outdoor toy selection with footballs, basketballs, a badminton set, croquet, bocce ball set, and other sports implements. They can learn to play the games and have fun competing against one another, all whilst exercising and learning good sportsmanship.
– Balancing Stones – Develop your child’s balance in an enjoyable way with balancing stones. You can place them around the garden or lawn and pretend the ground is lava for an active game around the yard.
– Backyard Circus Games – You can buy bucket stilts, twirling batons, and other fun equipment that kids can use for fun, or organize an entertaining circus in your garden. Get the neighbor children involved, have the kids dress up in costumes, and make popcorn and other snacks to make it a complete event.
– Obstacle Course – Whilst you can buy structures for an obstacle course in your backyard, you can also build or create obstacles from everyday items such as logs, boulders, bricks, and scrap wood. Be sure to remove any nails or screws from wood unless the materials are fully inserted to construct the structure. Time your children as they complete the course to see who is the fastest!
Disclosure – this is a collaborative post.
