Every single parent understands the need for their child to develop in every aspect, especially physically, as growing children need to be very active, and with the Internet always beckoning, there’s always a risk that your child spends too much time in front of a digital screen. If you think you need to get your son or daughter outside more, here are a few ideas that might just do the trick.
- Sports – There are many sports and if your child shows interest in a specific sport, this should be encouraged. If he or she has no favourite, perhaps your child should be introduced to something new in terms of sports. Tennis is great fun and you could play too, or if you play golf, why not see if your child has an interest?
- Cycling – Search online for affordable mountain bikes and invest in an early birthday gift, and every kid would love a top-rated mountain bike, which can go off-road too. You could arrange a family adventure day, when you ride your bikes along local trails, stopping somewhere for lunch before heading back. Cycling is the perfect activity as it works all the major muscle groups and is great cardio, plus it is fun to see the beauty of nature, as you explore local areas.
- Hiking – This is usually more fun for the kids than the adults and if you team up, you could take the whole family for a day of hiking. Check out the local hiking trails using Google and then you can plan the trip, and let the kids have a say in the venue. It goes without saying that children should always have an adult supervising when hiking, and they should not take on anything that is beyond their physical capabilities.
- Country Walks with a Drone – The drone would be all the motivation needed to find an open space, and teaching your child how to fly a drone is great preparation for the future, when they might actually use a drone to get from A to B. Many people are of the opinion that kids today do not spend enough time in a natural environment, and by showing your son of daughter some of the amazing things that are happening all around you, this will certainly arouse some interest.
- Martial Arts – Many young kids want to learn martial arts, and if you spot an interest, you can enrol them in a local martial arts class. There’s no in between with contact sports like karate and muay Thai, you either love it or you don’t, and a child should never be forced into any sport if the interest is not there, but if it is, then it should be encouraged.
As you can see, there are many activities that your child could engage in to spend more time outdoors, and if you make it a family thing, everyone gets the benefits of being out in the open.