In a world where i-pads and televisions are on the must have lists of most children, its easy to see why cases of childhood obesity are on the up. With our busy lives, i-pads and t.v are a convenient way to get everything we need to get done whilst keeping little ones happy. But while they have their place in a happy home, there are far more benefits, physically and emotionally, to keeping children as active as we can.
Getting to the local park or green space is obviously a great way to encourage walking, running and activity in general. Make it a date every week to get along there and pack a few games to keep things interesting. A kite, frisbee, or just their favourite ball will keep the outing fresh whilst promoting physical activity.
Go to feed the ducks at the local park or river. If you can walk there rather than take the car, you can make the walk fun by pointing out all the colours you can see, counting the different types of car or how many dogs are out for a walk too.
Gardening is a great way to get outdoors and keep active. Let your little one help trowel the earth in and out of the pots. Let them dig holes for the plants. They can spend a lovely time refilling the watering can and watering each plant. Then, they can admire all their hard work once spring has come and the flowers are coming alive.
A sand and water tray in the garden is not only a great way to keep active outdoors, it also helps them learn cause and effect, explore water displacement as well as having fun building sandcastles!
Invite a few of their friends over for a game of kick about in the garden. If space is an issue, they can play skittles with empty, washed bottles and a ball. You could always see if any of your friends would like to meet you at the park with their little ones for a game of running races, football or even hide and seek.
And when the weather doesn’t make it easy to get outside, there are lots of dance videos especially for toddlers that you can play on the television or tablet. They could each design a certificate beforehand, have a competition with you or their friends, and award a certificate to the best dancers!
Please visit www.jabberwockynursery.co.uk to find out about our wonderful Children's Nursery Setting in Street, Somerset!