All parents want their children to lead happy, healthy lives, and one of the best ways to encourage them to be healthy is to demonstrate healthy habits yourself. This is good for your health, good for your children’s health and can be a great way to spend time together too. These ideas are all fun things to do with your children that are healthy and active without feeling exercise.
Bike Rides
Learning to ride a bike is a right of passage for many children, and bicycling is a great exercise for you. Buy a bike for both of you (don’t forget the bike helmets) and go on bike rides together. This is a good active hobby for you both and has the added bonus on encouraging your children to think out greener modes of transport than the car. You can explore the neighbourhood on two wheels, or use the bikes to run errands instead of taking the car.
Swimming
Learning to swim is important for children. Drowning is one of the most common causes of child-death, but this can be prevented with learn to swim for kids classes. Swimming is fun too, and once they have learnt to swim, you can spend weekend mornings together at the pool, having fun and getting some exercise at the same time.
Cooking
If you want to teach your kids about healthy food and nutrition, cooking together is a fun way to do that. Cooking with fresh ingredients is always going to be healthier than processed foods. Learning to cook will also be helpful for your child as they grow up. Try out healthy recipes together and recruit the help of your kids in the kitchen.
Outdoor Games
You won’t be able to head out for bike rides or a trip to the swimming pool all the time, so find some healthy activities you can do in your own garden. Put in a football goal or a basketball hoop (if you have space) so you can play ball games together. Buy a trampoline for exercise that doesn’t feel you’re doing anything other than having lots of fun. Spend a day laying out different challenges, like your own garden Olympics. Playing together in the garden is lots of fun and a great way to do something active together without having to go out or spend any money.
Spending time doing active things together is a great way to spend time with your children while teaching them healthy habits at the same time. Treating being active as fun and a way to do things together is a healthy way to embed healthy habits. Both of you will benefit from being more active, and you can feel closer to your child at the same time.
Disclosure: This is a collaborative post.
