I feel really lucky that we don’t struggle to get our children outside. Sometimes we struggle to get them back inside. I know though, from speaking with other parents that it can be a real struggle for some to just get children to play outside.
If you worry that your children spend too much time indoors in front of a screen you will no doubt want to try and find a way to encourage then to get outside and enjoy some fresh air and fun,
The reality is that children do tend to have a great time and don’t miss the TV once they are outside and doing something that is so enjoyable, so the trick is to find something they love to do in order to see them playing outside as often as possible.
Here are some suggestions to consider when you want to get your children to enjoy some quality outdoor time.
Get them into biking
Biking is something that the whole family can do together and it could prove to be a great opportunity to enjoy some fun time together while giving everyone the chance to benefit from some outdoor exposure.
You might want to search out a list of the best BMX bikes for your children as this should increase the chances of not having to use too much persuasion to get outside when there is the prospect of an exciting bike trail adventure to look forward to.
Go exploring
Another winning activity that normally gets the thumbs up from your children is the offer to take them on a mini-exploration of your area.
One suggestion would be to make it a family mission to check out all the various parks and playgrounds in your area over a few weekends.
This activity covers all the bases as it gets them out and about, encourages participation when you all take a vote on which one is the best, and they get plenty of exercise and fresh air while having some awesome adventures.
Take some toys and games with you
Younger children can’t resist the invitation to play some favorite games with you or their friends and a good tactic would be to arrange a visit to the local park with some games and activities scheduled for when you get there.
Pack a ball, skipping rope, and a frisbee, for example, and you have a whole host of outdoor games to enjoy.
Even if your children don’t want to play ball games, you could even take a board game to play outside. At least they will still have got some exercise walking to the park and enjoyed some fresh air at the same time.
Try to get them into an outdoor sport
Your aim is to try and encourage outdoor activities becoming a regular habit and a successful strategy for doing that would be to find a sport that your child wants to get involved in.
Whether it is golf, running, tennis, or football, to name a few, there are definite benefits attached to getting them into a sporting activity.
They don’t have to be brilliant at the sport or competitive to get some benefits from this regular activity and if it gets them into the habit of being outside it has to be considered a winning move.
Follow some of these suggestions to get your kids off the couch and enjoying some valuable outdoor exercise while having a lot of fun at the same time.