You know your kids should be active, but often they can be found hunkered down in front of the TV, video game or computer while the sun shines outside. It’s a scene parents everywhere have lamented. The solution is pretty simple: Get them active by making exercise fun.
In fact, don’t even call it “exercise.” Call it “play” and give them lots of opportunities to do it. If you gently suggest a bunch of activities (running through the sprinkler, playing whiffle ball, drawing a hopscotch grid with sidewalk chalk), they’re very likely to take you up on one. And if they enjoy themselves, they may take the initiative next time to choose that activity over being a couch potato.
What’s fun to a kid? Sure, they love a day trip to an amusement park or a family vacation getaway, but there are many low-cost, everyday ways for kids to have a great time being active. Each kid will have his or her own favorites, but most will enjoy activities that offer one or both of the following:
• Physical thrills, such as swinging on a swing, splashing into a pool or gliding on skates
• A chance to get better at...