Healthy Activities

How to Stimulate Your Child's Mind

A good parent isn’t just concerned about their kids’ health and safety, but about their minds, too. They want to know that their children are good learners and are open to all that the world has to offer. For that, kids need stimulation to develop their brains as they grow.   Here are 5 ways for you to give your kids the stimulation they need.   Books: Reading is a good habit for kids to develop, especially when it makes a huge difference in how well they’ll perform in class and later on in life. The hard part, of couse, is getting them to start reading. As a parent, you can encourage them by reading to them at an early age. Find books on subjects that interest your child and encourage them to read whenever they need something quiet to do.   Games: Playing games helps your child develop a number of useful skills. Word problems and crossword puzzles are good for stimulating their memory and spatial reasoning skills. Video games can be educational, too, giving kids the chance to explore new subjects in an interactive environment and hone their hand-eye coordination.   Trips: Some parents already think that a trip to the museum will be just what their kids need to make them better learners. A museum isn’t a bad place to take your child, but the point is to think about what they can get out of it. Is there an exhibit or a show on something that they like? For example, if your child is more interested in learning about polar bears, then a trip to the zoo might be in order. Use those interests to form the basis for your trips and family outings.   Questions: All children have an instinct to turn to their parents whenever they don’t understand something. While parents should be able to field most questions, they can do their kids a service by asking them questions in turn. Asking questions like “What do you think would happen if…?” helps them work problems out on their own, as well as encourages them to think critically about the world.   Humor: We don’t always think about it, but laughter is a great tool for helping us learn. After all, don’t we always remember the funniest jokes? Most kids naturally gravitate toward TV shows and movies that make them laugh. Encourage their habit by suggesting shows and movies you think they’d like. Maybe sit down and watch with them. If you’re able to laugh with your child, you’ll form a stronger bond with them and they’ll have a stronger foundation for thinking about and exploring the world.   Image credit:  Colin_K on Flickr

Sample Workout Routine for Kids

It’s important to get kids moving and keep them active, but how do you make them exercise without it feeling like a workout? Keep the activities fun and imaginative. Try this simple routine to get your kids moving.   First things first: To keep the workout fun, make it seem like a game. Try playing jump or dive. When doing an exercise, anyone can call out either jump or dive at any point during the activity. If someone says jump, then everyone must stop what they’re doing and leap off the ground as high and as hard as they can. If someone says dive, everyone has to dive down into a plank, which is when you get in a push up position but with elbows bent so that your forearms are flat against the floor and straighten out your back, held for 20 seconds. Afterwards, you get right back into the exercise.   Now that we know the rules, we can get started. The first exercise is to set up an obstacle course in your backyard. Use, cones, ropes, balls, hula hoops; anything and everything you can find in your garage to create a fun adventure. Make it challenging but not too tough. Each station presents a new task and should work a different part of the body. Kids should run through the obstacle course as fast as they can. You can time it if you want, but don’t put any weight on the scores. It should be fun, not a competition.   Next, it’s time for yoga poses. One that you can try is to have the kids sit on their heels with their hands on their thighs and straighten their bodies as tall as possible. Another is to have the kids lie on their stomachs, then simultaneously, they should lift their upper bodies so their resting on the palms of their hands by the sides of their waists and bending their knees so that their knees touch the backs of their heads. Yoga is great because it will also stretch out those muscles the kids are working during their other exercises.   It’s time for a dance party. Turn on some music. Get up and get moving. This part of the routine should be very freestyle. It doesn’t have to be perfect form, your kids just need to move.   Finish it off with a game of hopscotch.   This routine will keep your kids active, and it will also get them outdoors. Image by MiraVena Yoga on Flickr Creative Commons.

Tips for Getting Your Kids to be Active

The importance of physical activity Active kids will see benefits in both physical and mental health. Physical activity helps kids to develop fine motor skills, coordination, and strong bones and muscles. Other positive physical effects of activity include weight control, better sleep, and decreased risk of health problems. Mentally, the endorphins gained from exercise will keep your kids feeling good. They will often be more alert and attentive in school. Exercise can also help with a child’s self-esteem.   So, there are many reasons why kids should exercise, but some kids just aren’t athletes. That’s okay. As a parent, it is your job to help your kids find alternative ways of staying active. You can lead an active, healthy lifestyle without being the star of the football team. Here’s how:   Provide options and opportunities Kids need to have plenty of different options for physical activity. If your kid is not an athlete, don’t make him or her try out for the soccer team. Try swimming or martial arts, some other activity that will get your kids moving. They don’t have to be a part of a team or league; they just need to stay active. It can come in any shape or form, so get creative.   Make sure your kids have plenty of opportunities to be active by providing them with the equipment they will need and taking the time to get them to the park or the local rec center. MAke sure they are spending time in places where they can be active.   Focus on fun Kids shouldn’t feel pressured when taking part in physical activity. It’s not about who wins the game. This is about your child’s health. Activities and games should be engaging and fun. The focus should be on enjoying the activity. Praise your child for doing something successfully. Encourage kids to keep trying. A positive experience with physical activity will make your kids want to keep doing it.   Be a good role model You can’t expect your kids to lead an active and healthy lifestyle if you don’t do the same. Engage in regular physical activity. Make sure your kids can see you being active instead of vegging out on the couch. Play with your kids. Have a family activity night where you go for a walk or shoot hoops in the backyard. Be active with your kids, and they will want to be active with you.   Starting kids on an active lifestyle at a young age will help promote lifelong healthy habits. Image by Sofie Jensen on Flickr Creative Commons.

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