Ways to Keep Your Kids Active This Year

Posted on Jan 08, 2016

We recently shared some ideas for New Year's resolutions for your family, from making time for fun to spending more time with friends. One of those resolutions was to get more exercise in 2016. If you're wondering how to encourage your kids to get more exercise this year, read on for some tips from Monkey Joe's Dulles, your home for jumping, bouncing, active play in Northern Virginia!

Why exercise more?

According to researchers, most young kids in America are not getting the recommended 60+ minutes of physical activity every day that is suggested by the CDC. When kids do get enough exercise, it decreases their risk of obesity and other health issues, and is also good for both physical and social development.

Motivating your kids to be active

So, how can you get your little couch potatoes to move more in 2016? These simple tips can help:

Limit screen time: The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that kids under 2 don't have any screen time at all, while older kids' screen time is limited to only 1-2 hours per day. Instead, kids should be playing games (you know, the old fashioned, non-phone/computer/videogame kind!), reading, drawing, and getting active with a mix of structured and unstructured exercise. Free play can be a great way for kids to get exercise, especially somewhere like Monkey Joe's! Our indoor playground is impossible to resist, enticing kids to jump, run, slide, and explore for hours.
Make it social: A great way to get kids to move more is to make it a social event! Plan active play dates with their friends, from a nature walk at the local park to a trip to Monkey Joe's for some fun on the inflatables.
Lead by example: Any parent can tell you that "Do as I say, not as I do" becomes less effective as a strategy the older your kids get! The best way to motivate your kids to exercise more is to model the behavior for them by making time to get active every single day!

Photo by geralt via Pixabay

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