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Parent Tips For Getting Kids More Active

Children are more active during play-time than at any other time of the school day – even PE, new research has revealed and with the Easter holidays approaching – now is the perfect time to get your kids more active.

The study by the British Toy & Hobby Association (BTHA) and Loughborough University suggests that play is the most effective way for children to get active and reach government guidelines for daily exercise. It also revealed that play-time can involve double the activity of an average PE lesson.

As one in six mums think encouraging children to play is a parenting skill they need to improve on, the BTHA has teamed up with Celeb mum Kym Marsh to promote their Make Time To Play Campaign, offering tips on how to help kids get engaged in active play for an hour a day.

Here’s what parents can do:

10 Parents tips to encourage ACTIVE PLAY.

1. Be active yourself and make sure your children see you enjoying it.

2. Make or find space. Clear away clutter, push furniture to the sides of the room or go outside.

3. Time it right. Don’t suggest overly active play when children are hungry, tired or ill.

4. See it as a treat or reward not a chore. For example, “if you tidy your room we can go to the park.”

5. Make it fun. Races, treasure hunts, competitions all add to children’s enjoyment and increase activity levels.

6. Join in and invite friends. Making active play sociable and fun will make children want to do it more.

7. Build activity into everyday life. Try taking stairs rather than lifts, walk or bike rather than driving and your family will soon have more energy to play.

8. Don’t over-react to the odd bump or scrape. Children who are fearful are less active and have more accidents.

9. Eat healthy – make sure children have the energy to play active for long periods, making sure their diet is wholesome & nutritious.

10. Ensure children get enough sleep. Make bedtimes calm and enjoyable to help children settle and give older children a lie in at least once a week to catch up on sleep.

How do you encourage your kids to step away from the computer screen and get more active?