In the modern age of tablets, mobiles, TVs and videogames it has never been more difficult to keep your kids active and moving over the summer holidays.
by Thomas Cox
Children need at least one hour of physical activity a day to help them grow stronger muscles and bones, maintain a healthy weight and build their confidence.
So we’ve pulled together 7 ideas on how you and your family can spend an hour each day being active and socialising.
Cycling
Children love cycling. It’s not only a fun and healthy way to spend time with your child, it’s also one of the easiest ways to get your child to be more active.
Cycling has many benefits for children such as improved health, confidence and concentration. Cycling causes less strain and injuries than most other forms of exercise and most people know how to ride a bike because once you learn, you don’t forget!
You can take a look at some of Telford’s cycling routes online.
Walking
Another free and easy activity to do as a family is to put on your walking shoes and head out. Walking is a great chance to boost your energy, clear your head and lift your mood. To help keep your children thinking you could make a list of trees, plants, and insects, that they have to identify along the way.
You can track your walking and motivate yourself to get out every day with the Active 10 app. It keeps track of how often you are walking continuously for at least 10 minutes.
To help give you more ideas for active days out, the National Parks website has lists of guided walks and children’s fun days to enjoy the outdoors.
Visit Telford Town Park
This summer there are some fantastic free activities on offer in Telford Town Park over the summer break.
Whether you want to do something sporty or creative, there is something for you and your family. You can take part in multi sports activities, making seed bombs, weaving, and even do yoga.
The full list of events are available on the Telford Town Park Facebook page.
Kite flying
How about you reach to the back of the garden shed and grab your kite? Kite flying on a breezy day can keep children and big kids active for hours.
For keen flyers, The Kite Society of Great Britain has local groups that meet for special days where more experienced flyers can give advice. Some groups even offer kite-making workshops.
Trip to the beach
In the summer it’s hard to resist a weekend trip to the coast to enjoy a dip in the water. The beach offers so many great ways to be active as a family including games, playing the in the sand, swimming, rock-pooling and generally running around.
But of course, make sure that you are prepared for the sun by taking shade and applying sun cream.
10 minute shakeups
Change4life have partnered with Disney to create a series of fun “10 minute shakeups” to keep your kids active over the Summer.
Each 10 minute shake up is a fun activity or game that can be played as a family or with friends. New shake ups are added each week over the summer holiday’s based on a different Disney theme.
Build a den
Capture the imagination of your youngsters, allow them to problem solve and be creative by helping them to build a den. You could make the den in your garden, inside or in the great outdoors.
Make sure that you are supervising them at all times to prevent injuries from falling branches or from lifting heavy objects. And remember to wash hands with soap and water if you’re planning a picnic afterwards.
What ideas do you have?
If you are have any exciting plans with your family over the Summer then please share them in the comments below.
I enjoyed this!