In Britain there are a large number of children who don’t exercise regularly, and this lack of activity can lead to numerous health problems later in life. If you need a bit of help getting your little one off the sofa and out into the garden, here’s some tips that should help.
The first thing you can do is find a physical activity that your child actually enjoys! Not every little one is going to want to play football. Maybe you’ve got a budding karate champion or sprinter! Try different activities until you find one that your child enjoys. A large percentage of children don’t engage in physical activity simply because they haven’t found an activity they enjoy.
Once you’ve found an activity that they enjoy, make time for it! It’s vital that you make time for your child’s exercise and are there to encourage and play with them. Knowing that you’ll be there to support them can do wonders for getting your little one to stick with a sport or exercise.
You also need to make sure your little one has a safe environment to play in. Clean up space in the garden to make sure there’s enough room for them to exercise. If you haven’t got a back garden, take them to your nearest child friendly park and cheer them on them while they play!
Finally, why not encourage them to join a local club? Once they’ve started enjoying a physical activity it’s important for them to partake in it with other children, this is also a great way for them to make friends and develop their social skills. There are tons of preschool playgroups for almost every type of exercise you can think of!
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About London Early Years Foundation