Keeping kids occupied in the house is challenging in the best of times. Social distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic has made finding healthy in-door activities for children even harder.
As parents, you know your kids need a little nudge to get off the couch. Read on to find 9 healthy activities for children to do at home!
Benefits of Healthy Activities at Home
Take action for your child’s happiness. Having children practice healthy lifestyle patterns at home is beneficial for many reasons:
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Healthy habits build better stress management techniques for children
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Healthy habits boost the immune system
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Healthy habits create a positive learning environment at home and reinforce lessons learned in school
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Healthy activities for children teach them how to be kinder to themselves and others.
Movement & Play
Keeping children fit and active will carry over into their adult life. Make sure children stay engaged with these three activities during their time at home.
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Recess- Maintain the children’s routine by keeping their recess at the same time as it was in school. Have your children jump rope and play the games they would at school. It’s a great bonding experience, and it teaches them the value of fun.
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Sensory Play- Sensory play allows children the freedom to explore their senses. Have them experiment with different materials such as Play-Doh. If they’re older, try and teach them one of the skills you’ve mastered, such as carpentry or wood shopping, that’s age-appropriate.
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Exercise- Kids have seemingly endless energy to burn! Staying active together can be fun for parents and kids and sets a positive example that they will carry with them for life.
Eating Healthy At Home
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Eating Healthy Starts With You- Lead by example, not with words. Your child watches your every move. Eat healthy more often, and your child will follow suit. Giving kids options and creating fun shapes or designs with their food also helps them to feel some sense of control over what they eat.
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Cooking With Your Children- Cooking with your children gives them a sense of pride. They’ll learn the value of making food, develop helpful skills, and they’ll be more likely to appreciate what goes into cooking.
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Make Healthy Snacks Into Yummy Desserts- Make food items such as fruit and nuts more kid-friendly. Instead of asking your child whether they want an orange, ask if they’d like a fruit-pop. Instead of asking your kid if they want nuts, ask if they would like trail-mix with chocolate chips.
Creativity
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Learning an Instrument- Kids may think of instruments as dull or boring. But there are plenty of apps out there that turn music into a fun, interactive game.
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Painting- Have your child let their imagination run wild by painting with them. It could get a little messy, but it’s essential to show your child they can set their imagination free.
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Get Creative with Games- Have your child try to come up with a game of their own and play it with them. It sharpens their social skills as well as their creativity.
Have Fun!
Whoever said healthy activities for children had to be all work and no play was wrong. Healthy activities for kids take discipline, but they’re never boring. Try these at-home activities with your child, and you’ll be grateful for the stay-at-home order.
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