Toys and Games to Keep Kids Active and Healthy

In our modern world of increasing technology, it is becoming easier and easier to be sedentary. As adults, we can use smart devices to start dinner, check the contents of our fridge, order groceries delivered, video chat with doctors and the list goes on and on. While these advances are certainly convenient, they can all be done from a seated position giving us little motivation or need to move too much if at all. That's just not healthy.

Our kids are also affected by these same issues. Access to a plethora of games, stimuli, even social activities can be done from a device. If your child is a ball full of energy who’d rather be out playing than indoors that is terrific. However, if you struggle to get your child up and motivated to go out and engage in active play it's a frustrating situation. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that obesity in children has tripled since the 1970s. Approximately 20 percent of children aged 6 to 19 are obese.

Through providing the right toys and activities and limiting screen time, we can encourage our children to get moving and form healthy habits that last a lifetime.

What Are Fitness-Centered Activities For Children

Some of the best fitness activities for children are the most obvious, sports. There is a wide selection of many different sports that can appeal to children. Exposure to as many as possible at a young age gives children the ability to decide which they like the best and potentially continue to engage in sports throughout childhood, into their young adult years, and beyond.

Sports are excellent at strengthening muscles, eye-hand coordination, mental stimulation, cardiovascular health, stamina, and mental clarity.

If sports don’t pique your child’s fancy or you have a child that needs a bit more confidence and focus, consider any one of the martial arts. Jujitsu, karate, tae kwon do, etc. are all excellent forms of physical fitness. They also instill discipline which is helpful especially for children who either thrive on structure or who could use more of it. Martial arts build-up children’s confidence while teaching them self control and valid life skills.

Creative fitness activities like dance or aerial silk classes which are growing in popularity are great fun. What kids don't want to hang from a ribbon just like a monkey? Taking your children to indoor rock climbing walls can be competitive or non- competitive fun. Indoor trampoline and bounce arenas allow your children to jump around and exercise those muscles in the process.

Even train like a ninja warrior in freestyle gyms or obstacle course competitions. You can always take your children to good old playgrounds and collaborate on how to tackle the play structures like a real ninja event. If being a ninja isn’t quite as appealing, just good old fashioned play at the playground does the job.

Some other fun ideas to get kids moving, or wear them out include these:

  • Going on a nature hike and simply enjoy the outdoors is always an option. Or, you may like to spice it up. Get a book on mushroom identification and forage for them. Like treasure hunting? Geocaching is tons of fun for the whole family. Make sure you have GPS, pencil, and paper and after you register you can use the coordinates of the boxes to search them out, find what’s in them, and leave a special token of your own.
  • Create a scavenger hunt inside or outside. If you time your kids you’ll get them looking for the items quicker. Scurrying around in frenzied fun.
  • Have your children meet up with friends or have them over for large groups to play traditional outdoor kid group games like manhunt, hide and seek, red light green light, etc.

What are the best fitness toys for kids?

  • Just as there are indoor jump gyms all over you can easily get a trampoline for your backyard. They come in a variety of sizes to give your children plenty of fun jumping and bouncing time. Often you can easily find these second hand in great condition for a fraction of the price new ones cost through online garage sale sites or local apps, OfferUp is such an app that allows for a way to connect with locals looking to buy, sell, and trade.
  • Bikes, scooters, roller skates, rollerblades, for obvious reasons.
  • Punching bags
  • Hula hoops are simple, inexpensive, and a great core and hip flexor workout, believe it or not. There are actually dance classes centered around hula hoop use.
  • Ankle and skip balls
  • Non-slip stepping stones of various sizes that children can place where they want and hop from stone to stone. These are a great addition to homemade obstacle courses.
  • Jump ropes

Whatever you do to keep your toddlers and young kids actively having fun will pay off for their mental, physical, and emotional health. Remember, the more you can be active regularly means that you set a good example. Children watch their parents and emulate their behavior. So don't just sit there, get moving!

Resources— Play 60, Dr. Axe

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