It’s that time of the year again – 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 “back in my day”; as soon as the sun rose we were out of the house, and the last thing you heard your parents yelling out was “be home before dark!”
We all understand that times have changed, and devices now play a part in all of our lives. So, with that in mind, let’s take look at how we can get the kids up and moving, and learning about exercise, as part of their ‘device time’.
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 – 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 – 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 you’ll both be learning.
- Keep screen time to 20-30 minutes maximum.
- Make sure everyone gets outside after any screen time, whether it’s walking the dog, playing a game or kicking the footy around.
- Give the kids a ‘count down’ on their device time. This will mean they don’t feel like they’re leaving something ‘unfinished’, 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, we’ll all be winners.
If you’re looking for my kids’ holiday programs – Battle Ninja, Battle Games or Delta Force – head to my website: kidsfirm.com.au
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