Keep your kids active for lifetime!
Making fitness fun for kids is a great way to establish an active lifestyle. Establishing daily fitness will benefit kids far into the future!
Is your child getting the recommended 60 minutes of physical activity per day? The Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans, 2nd edition recommend that children and adolescents ages 6 to 17 years do 60 minutes or more of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity daily.
Many kids are not getting the recommended about of physical activity. This is a huge problem for our youth because physical activity has so many benefits for kids!
The benefits include helping kids grow strong bones, muscles, and joints. Physical activity in kids also can reduce the risk of diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart disease into adulthood. Exercise also helps improve mood, learning, and sleep.
Fitness should be fun for kids!
Use your child’s interests as a starting point. Think back to when you were a child. Those fun outdoor activities are still kid favorites! Here are some ideas to get you reminiscing about your favorite childhood activities.
Neighborhood games like relay races, scavenger hunts, hide and seek, and three-legged races. Simple activities like jumping rope, hula hooping, and dancing. These are all great ways to make fitness fun for kids! Try to involve enough activity to get kids breathing heavy and a little sweaty.
Helpful Tips for Increasing Activity and Making Fitness Fun for Kids
There are many ways that you can help promote an active lifestyle in your child:
- Make physical activity a regular part of your family’s routine by planning ahead.
- Play games and learn new activities with your children.
- Invest in colorful, fun, and active equipment or toys.
- Join in community events such as fun runs or walks.
- Get out in nature! Hike, swim, sled, skate, paddle, etc.
- Consider both group and individual activities. Try something new!
- Involve your child in setting up a schedule and choosing activities.
- Model healthy eating and exercise.
- Invite friends and neighbors to join you.
- Limit screen time
- Avoid over-scheduling so that activity can be spontaneous
Fitness Fun for Kids with 3 Pieces of Equipment
What You’ll Need:
Prism’s colorful and easy-to-use fitness equipment makes exercise FUN! Here are some suggested activities using just three pieces of equipment.
Fitness Fun for Kids with the SMART Medicine Ball
Games & Activities:
- Hot potato
- Medicine ball bowling
- Catch
- Sit on the ground, throw the ball in the air, stand up in time to catch it
- Holding the ball between your feet, jump in place or across the room
- Holding the ball in front of you, “draw” big circles or figure 8s with arms extended
Fitness Fun for Kids with the SMART Stability BallGames & Activities:
- Throw, bounce, or kick the ball
- Drum on the ball to music using hands
- Wall squats
- Lie face-down down on the ball and extend arms and legs like a superhero
Fitness Fun for Kids with the SMART Stick
Games & Activities:
- Pretend the stick is a light saber and move it slowly in front of you, Star Wars style
- Grab a stability ball and use the stick to pretend you’re kayaking
- Draw letters and numbers in the air with your “big pencil”
- Hold the stick behind your head and up in the air and do walking lunges
Still need some ideas? Check out our Kids After School Fitness Challenge.
