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* Find a My Gym for kids near your home now!
Wednesday, October 31, 2007
Everyone knows that looking after kids is hard work, and often parents feel grateful when their children confess that they're feeling tired and can be sent to bed. To adults, trying to get important things done, children can seem as if they have far too much energy already, never mind trying to get them fitter. But in this situation, properly organized children's exercise is sometimes exactly what's needed.
Children get more excitable than adults because their growing bodies metabolize their food differently, and because many foods aimed at kids are high in sugar content. Children also don't have the same number of daily tasks to tire them out as adults do, and they're not mentally equipped to occupy themselves that way. What they need is physical activity, and lots of it.
They'll instinctively try to get this any way they can, which means running around the house and shouting if they can't find any other outlet. When this happens, simply telling them to sit and be quiet is not a good solution. ~it can be bad for their health, and it can lead to serious stress.
What children need is well planned regular exercise, ideally in the form of activities they're going to enjoy. School sports can help with this, as can active pursuits run by youth organizations. If you need to organize children's exercise yourself, set them tasks to do like running errands on their feet or on bikes.
Encourage them to take up activities such as dancing to their favorite music in their bedrooms. You can even get involved directly by taking the time to play with them with a ball in the back yard. It doesn't have to take up an enormous amount if time, and though children will always burn off more energy doing this sort of thing than adults do, it might even get you fitter yourself!Labels: childrens, exercise, fitness
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Sunday, October 28, 2007
It's never easy to plan for a child's birthday party, but it becomes even more difficult when you have multiple age groups to consider. Children of large families may have brothers and sisters or cousins attending, some of whom may bring friends of their own. With younger children, where even small age gaps can make a big difference, your child's own close friends may vary sufficiently in age to have very different needs. How can you cater for children of different ages at one event?
The answer is two fold. Firstly, you should look for the things which children of all ages enjoy. Food is a good place to start - it doesn't often become stigmatized as babyish, and if you find that some girls protest they're worried about their weight you can assure them that special occasions like parties mean it's okay to enjoy treats. Games involving physical skills like balance and dexterity can also be a good way to cross the age divide, and team games mean that you can spread out any advantage that might be enjoyed by the older ones.
Secondly, you can make sure older children don't get bored at birthday parties by encouraging them to take some responsibility for the younger ones. Talk to them and let them know some of your worries. Don't give them chores which will spoil the party atmosphere for the, but do give them the chance to volunteer. This will make them feel that they're respected for the more mature qualities they value. Let them contribute to the direction of the party, for instance by getting them to help with choosing music.
At a mixed ages party, it's all the more important to have some quiet space for kids who're finding it all a bit too much. This is important for small children who may need naps and also for older ones who may need some private space to reassert themselves. Having another available activity, such as a computer game, can give them a valuable chance to escape for a bit.
Running mixed ages parties can be hard work, but by taking the time to consider different children's needs you can be sure of still putting on a successful event.Labels: birthday, childrens, party
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Wednesday, October 24, 2007
When we think about
fitness for kids, we tend to think about the effect it has on their bodies - increasing agility, decreasing the risk of obesity, and getting them into good habits for later life. But general fitness is also good for the brain - in more ways than you might expect.
Just as health organizations are expressing concern about a general deterioration in children's fitness, so teachers and child psychologists are noting a rise in learning disorders like ADHD. You won't be surprised to hear that there's an increasing amount of evidence to link these two trends. The brain is an organ which needs a large amount of energy in order to function properly.
It requires a steady flow of sugars, but when children eat poorly and fail to exercise, their bodies often fail to regulate sugars properly. This means that the energy supply reaches the brain in fits and starts, so that sometimes the child is yawning and falling asleep in class, and sometimes he or she is too excitable to pay attention.
Being unfit can also affect children on an emotional level, as it interferes with the way the body regulates hormones. A regular exercise program can help a sullen child to overcome mood swings, becoming both happier and more alert. It's important to time exercise carefully to fit in with the natural patterns of a child’s life. Half an hour in the morning before school will make them more alert in class. An hour before the evening meal will improve digestion and aid concentration on evening homework.
If we want to help our children to improve their performance at school and get more out of life intellectually and emotionally, fitness for kids has to be top priority. Fitness isn't just for the body - it's for every aspect of life.
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Saturday, October 20, 2007
Whether it's a private pool or a community facility, on hot days there's no better place to be than in the water! Kids, too, love swimming related activities, but they often run out of steam because they can't think of many different ways to amuse themselves. Most of them find that swimming laps soon becomes boring, and they have difficulty understanding why adults are content just to lie around at the poolside.
Water based activities for kids can be a great way to keep them fit. They're a good option on days when it's too hot for other forms of exercise, and indoor pools provide somewhere to go when it's too rainy or snowy for playing outside. But like many
kid's activities, they work better when props are supplied.
A simple inflatable ball can be used for simple games of throw and catch or, with older children, for water polo. It'll encourage children to swim fast and to propel themselves out of the water, building muscle and improving aerobic fitness. Unlike other muscle-building exercises, swimming is very gentle and doesn't carry the risk of distorting young limbs. It's also the only sport which helps to tone muscles across the whole of the body.
For younger children especially, inflatable toys are a great favorite in the pool. Inflatable animals such as sharks and crocodiles can be used in imaginative play or for chasing games. Larger inflatables such as rafts can teach kids useful balancing skills as they try to climb on top of them and stay afloat.
Inflatable weapons can be used for fighting games where children get to act out rivalries in an exhilarating way without the risk of anyone getting hurt. These sorts of activities for kids will quickly exhaust even the fittest ones, but they'll always be eager to come back for more. Rather than struggling to persuade them to exercise, you'll find they can't get enough.Labels: activities, childrens, fun, kids
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Thursday, October 18, 2007
Everybody knows that Children's fitness is important, but making sure your kids get the exercise they need can be easier said than done. It's all very well if you live in a good area with good quality local sports facilities, or even a decent sized back yard where they can play with their friends - but what if you live downtown and are uncomfortable about letting them play outside?
What if they have pollen allergies and outdoor play makes them ill? What if you simply don't get the weather for it? Fortunately, there are several indoor activities which can help with fitness for kids, and which can be fun at the same time.
When exercising indoors, staircases are your friend. Even communal stone staircases can help, though in those cases it's a good idea for young children to have an adult present in case they fall. Climbing up and down steps provides light impact exercise which helps to build strong bones, as well as exercising the heart and lungs and strengthening the muscles in the backs of the legs.
The safest way to exercise on staircases is to walk down them and then race upwards, competing with other children or trying to beat a set time. Even slow stair climbing, if undertaken regularly, will improve fitness for kids. This is also a great way to tire them out and keep them from tiring you out when you're trying to get on with the housework.
Jumping and stretching exercises can be performed anywhere, even if you only have a small amount of space. Kids find these more satisfying if they get to perform them in unison with their favorite music, with or without the aid of dance mat technology. They also respond well to challenges - try betting them that they can't manage a certain number of star jumps, and let them try to prove you wrong.
If you have a bit more space, forward and backward rolls are an activity which kids always enjoy. These help to keep joints flexible as well as improving balance. Encourage your kids to combine them with stretches and jumps to create routines. These can easily be built into games.
Fitness for kids doesn't have to be the preserve of those who already enjoy advantages in life. Don't let circumstances deter you from keeping your children healthy, because that's the very best advantage you can give them in life.Labels: activities, childrens, exercise, fitness, fun, gymnasium, kids
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Saturday, October 13, 2007
Problems with coordination are common in childhood. Even children who have no such difficulties beforehand can develop them as a result of the changes their bodies go through at puberty, leading to a distressing clumsiness. Fortunately, there are ways to help develop children's coordination which are also lets of fun. Whilst traditional sports can help, these special activities, which your child can even practice when alone, will do much more.
When we think of useful activities for kids, juggling isn't usually the first thing that springs to mind, but it's an excellent way to improve hand-eye coordination and develop a sense of rhythm. There are all sorts of fancy juggling toys available and you might be tempted to buy your child something exciting right away, but be patient. Simple balls, beanbags or batons are the easiest way to get started. Similarly, though juggling usually involves at least three items, it's best to begin by passing just two from hand to hand, gradually doing more upon developing more confidence.
Street entertainers will often tell you that those who juggle well have difficulty learning diabolo, and that juggling is difficult for those who excel at the diabolo art. If your child continues to struggle with juggling, then, you might want to give diabolo a try. This old fashioned game involves balancing a special spinning top on a piece of string held between two sticks. With practice, diabolo practitioners can make the top jump high into the air before catching it again, and can make it slide up and down the string at high speeds. You'd be surprised how much difference good quality equipment makes when it comes to diabolo, so don't just buy the cheapest thing you see - all the same, it doesn't need to be an expensive hobby.
Children who like dance will enjoy learning the traditional Maori art of poi, which involves stylized movement using balls on strings, often with ribbons attached. The trick is to keep these moving through the air without tangling them or bringing them into contact with the body. Poi equipment can be very colorful, which children always find appealing.
These entertaining activities for kids will help to develop their coordination in a way which will stay with them for life, giving them lots of advantages in sports. What's more, they'll always have fun skills to show off at parties.Labels: activities, fun, kids
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Tuesday, October 09, 2007
Getting kids to exercise regularly is easy if they enjoy group activities such as organized sports or simply running around playing with other children, but what do you do if you have a child who is reluctant to join in such activities?
For children who are bullied or who fail to fit in socially, activities like these can be very distressing. Pressure from parents to get involved will only increase reluctance.
It's no use asking the child to change their attitude, because often it isn't that child's attitude which is at the heart of the problem - it's the attitudes of others.
Lack of confidence is one of the principle traits which bullies seek out in potential victims, so children who lose their confidence because of bullying can become trapped in a vicious circle which itself damages their health. This is a particular problem for overweight or otherwise physically unfit kids.
The best thing you can do to help children in this situation is to enable them to feel more confident about their own skills and abilities, and especially about their bodies. Children's exercise can help them to build the physical self assurance they need to turn their lives around.
It's a distressing thing to always be the last to be chosen when teams are picked for school sports. Children who've experienced this sort of thing need to learn to exercise with other people, and they need to know that they'll be respected when they do so.
This means that you need to spend time exercising with your child and helping them to improve their abilities. Concentrate on activities for which the child shows some natural talent. As these start to improve, look for opportunities for the child to exercise with others who know nothing of their history, for instance by traveling to a sports facility on the other side of town.
This will take away the usual pressure and give the child the opportunity to enjoy being physical. Children's confidence will grow as they discover how much fun this is, and in time that confidence will extend across the rest of their lives.
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Wednesday, October 03, 2007
Children's birthday parties are the biggest events of kids' years. One of the things they look forward to most is the food. If you're organizing a party for your child, it's vital to get the catering right. But how can you be sure of doing so?
As every parent knows, catering for one child can be difficult enough. Kids are notoriously fussy and will turn down food based on color, shape or association even if they don't object to the taste. At a birthday party where everybody is supposed to be having fun you can't very well sit them down and order them to finish their food before they leave the table. So what can you do?
The key is variety. You'll need to have lots of different types of food and, where possible, variations on each type. Jam tarts can be made in different flavors. Small cakes can be made with different colored icing. Gingerbread can be cut into different shapes - animal or vehicle shapes are usually popular.
Sandwiches for children's birthday parties should be as simple as possible. Use white bread and don't combine fillings, as this is more likely to raise objections. It's a good idea to avoid peanut butter sandwiches (and other nut based dishes) altogether, as nut allergies are increasingly common among children these days and can be caused by something as simple as a vulnerable child holding hands with one who has been eating nuts. Ask parents beforehand to find out if there are any other allergy issues you should know about.
Sandwiches served to children should be cut from quarter slices of bread so that they're appealingly bite sized. Try to apply this rule to all the food you serve. Larger items can look intimidating to children and often mean that they don't eat as much altogether. Try to serve plenty of interesting savory options (hedgehogs made with bits of cheese on cocktail sticks stuck into oranges remain a favorite) to discourage them from eating so much sugary food that they become hyperactive.
The crowning glory of any children's birthday party is, of course, the cake. This is your child's special prize, so it should be made according to your child's preferences, however peculiar they may be. Children love cakes made in exotic shapes, and they love unusual edible cake decorations. The internet makes it easy to find ideas and supplies you can use to prepare such things at home.
Above all, remember that children's birthday parties are about having fun. If you let yourself have fun being creative with the food, the result will be appreciated.Labels: activities, birthday, childrens, kids, parties, party
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