Itโs that time of the year again โ winter school holidays, where all the kids want to do is stay inside and play on their devices or just do nothing.
I can hear myself saying โback in my dayโ; as soon as the sun rose we were out of the house, and the last thing you heard your parents yelling out was โbe home before dark!โ
We all understand that times have changed, and devices now play a part in all of our lives. So, with that in mind, letโs take look at how we can get the kids up and moving, and learning about exercise, as part of their โdevice timeโ.
Activities
- Get the kids to research some exercise and activities as part of their time on the device. Encourage them to learn new and different ways to do certain exercises, and get them to challenge their friends/siblings to see who knows the correct way to do it.
- 10 minutes of device time = 10 minutes of exercise!
- Put 20 different exercises in a hat, and draw them out one at a time and see if the kids can do all of them.
- Encourage a family walk before any device time. If anything, the kids will walk faster than they normally do!
- If the kids have scooters or bikes, and like learning and trying tricks, film them and then get them to watch the footage and learn. This is awesome for providing feedback and motivating the kids.
Tips
- Aim to have device time around mealtimes โ that way you can make sure they are eating healthy meals and snacks. Try swapping out fresh fruit for device time, and also do some basic healthy cooking with the kids โ they will be learning again, and can research recipes and ingredients on the device.
- Get the kids to teach you new exercises; this way you stay engaged with them and youโll both be learning.
- Keep screen time to 20-30 minutes maximum.
- Make sure everyone gets outside after any screen time, whether itโs walking the dog, playing a game or kicking the footy around.
- Give the kids a โcount downโ on their device time. This will mean they donโt feel like theyโre leaving something โunfinishedโ, and give them time to farewell their mates.
School holidays are the best time for everyone to recharge the batteries. If we can focus on keeping up a good level of exercise and the device time to a minimum, weโll all be winners.
If youโre looking for my kidsโ holiday programs โ Battle Ninja, Battle Games or Delta Force โ head to my website: kidsfirm.com.au
More stories:
