Many children today sit too much and don’t move enough. They’re lured by less-than-healthy foods and technology overpowers their lives. As parents, you’re probably very aware of these problems and you’re eager to find solutions. Researchers find that obesity rates have increased dramatically over the past few decades. As parents, you have the most potential to change those dismal statistics. Rather than lecture or mandate that your kids eat healthier and stay more active, be the example you want your kids to be. Encouraging your kids to be more active and health-conscious needn’t feel complicated and can even be fun. Family activities provide an excellent way to get everyone involved and spend quality time together.
These ideas provide a great starting point to create healthier, happier kids while reinforcing familial bonds. Schedule these activities and ensure nothing interferes with them.
- Make a meal together. Try making the kitchen, rather than the living room, your go-to meetup for the family. Even one meal a week can create a dramatic effect on your family’s health while reinforcing bonds and having fun. Even your littlest ones can set the table or snap vegetables while older kids can chop, carve, and even cook. Rotate the menu so a different person gets to pick every week. Think of the increased family time while also establishing lifelong habits as a bonus. And it goes without saying: Make the dinner table a technology-free zone.
- Visit a farmers market or even a farm. Eating local and organic have become cool and what better way to learn the roots of your food than a farmers market. Make a Saturday morning out of it. Start with a healthy breakfast before you head out so you aren’t tempted by baked goods. If you have a nearby one available, farms also make a great way for kids to interact with nature and animals while showing them where their food comes from.
- Go on a hike or a similar vigorous activity. If you hear groans when you tell your kids to step away from the video games and do something active, reinvent play to incorporate fun, challenging exercise. Hiking makes a great day or weekend activity that practically forces you to step away from technology. If you don’t have a favorite hiking spot in the area, traverse a nearby destination and make an adventure out of it. Make physical activity fun and you’ll build enthusiasm within your kids while enjoying technology-free family time.
- Find a new activity the whole family can engage in. Family time needn’t be boring or forced when you find something everyone enjoys. Engaging in touch football, soccer, or frisbee makes a great Sunday afternoon energy booster that will work up everyone’s appetite for dinner. If intellectual stimulation is more your thing, have a family trivia-game, board game, or card night. With games like Uno, you can engage even the littlest ones. Gratitude is a nutrient that invigorates and inspires everyone, and volunteering provides a great way to install the giving-back virtue to your kids. You might find a nearby charity that your entire family can commit to once a week.
- Schedule a technology-free hour or two. Technology isn’t entirely bad, but using it wisely becomes crucial for healthy kids and strong familial bonds. Tablets, iPhones, video games, and laptops can usurp everyone’s time; even most adults can attest how they mindlessly scrolled through Facebook for an hour at some point. Don’t waste that time; put all electronics away for an hour or two and do something together instead.
Family gatherings don’t need to feel forced or overly structured when you incorporate fun, invigorating activities that simultaneously support your physical, mental, and emotional health. Use these ideas as launchpads to create your own family traditions. While they might feel difficult to implement in the beginning, remember you are installing deep, lasting values for your kids to be health-focused and physically active throughout their lives. As an added bonus, you’ll create some fantastic memories.
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