These days, it can be quite challenging for you as a parent to provide a healthy life for your kid while working and doing housework at the same time. We know that leaving them with a smartphone or laptop is the easiest way to get around peacefully, but there’s always a better thing to do.
Guiding your kid towards healthy activities and engaging in things that are beneficial for them is the best thing to do if your financial resources allow it. Of course, that doesn’t mean you need to occupy all of their time with swimming, singing and piano lessons, but to pursue them having a healthy hobby they enjoy that not only will keep them fit but will also open the door for certain opportunities in the future.
Here’s a list of recommended healthy activities and their benefits.
Swimming
Swimming is a vital skill that everyone should know from a young age. It can prevent drowning and also save others in need, so considering that you can’t always be there for your child, it would be best for them to know what to do. There are plenty of swimming courses in cities at the moment, so you can enroll them and see if they enjoy it at least.
Swimming also has a lot of health benefits, such as the following:
- Alleviating stress and relaxing the body;
- Building endurance and muscle strength;
- Maintaining a healthy body weight;
- Improving flexibility;
- Correcting posture;
Regular swimming is also suitable for treating anxiety or depression due to the endorphins and serotonin released during the activity. This can be extremely helpful, especially for kids aged 14 or more, because this is the time when most adolescents start experiencing mental health issues.
Cooking
Cooking is a more creative activity since it allows kids to get insight into all different textures and learn more about their environment. It may be more fun for children aged from three to five years old because discovering creates an active learning setting and supports independence and problem-solving skills. While performing this activity, it would be best to have some time on your hands and allow mistakes.
If you want to teach them something, you can try showing them first what they have to do and then letting them do it alone. This method is efficient because kids are active observers. After a few tries, you can give them verbal guidance. Finally, it’s important to have fun and enjoy your time cooking with them because this is a good chance for relationship bonding.
Summer camp
Taking your kid to a summer camp not only lets them socialize more, but also gives you some time alone. During these camps, your kids will learn independence and get out of their comfort zone, which will help them adapt better to new environments in the future. There are many types of camps where your children can learn various things, such as dance and drama, sports or cooking.
For example, if you’re searching for Brooklyn camps near your house, you can mostly find:
- STEM camps with coding, gaming and science activities;
- Sports camps with yoga, martial arts and swimming;
- Art summer camps with cooking, drawing and painting courses;
- Performance arts with music, theater, acting and dance activities;
- Outdoor camps to explore nature and join adventures;
- Academic summer camps for reading and language activities;
Summer camps are for every age, and their duration goes from half-day classes to days, weeks or month-long semesters. You can also enroll your kids in free activities, but some longer summer camps must be paid for.
Montessori activities
Montessori schools are not new, but they’ve become more popular recently because they provide something more than the average school system. So, rather than just sitting at a desk, kids are encouraged to touch, feel and do what they need to learn in an organized yet free manner. Some of the most common activities include hands-on tasks, such as the following:
- Pouring and scooping, which can be applied in gardening, counting, sorting;
- Practical chores, such as washing the windows;
- Gluing paper to showcase creativity;
- Frames to help kids zip and unzip clothes, shoes or pants;
- Puzzle and continent maps;
- Classification cards of animals, vegetables, and fruits;
Montessori activities are even more efficient for kids with special needs because they help
engage the child’s senses, and there is no pressure to meet formal standards at a certain time. For your kids’ preschool years, Montessori is the best choice.
Playing
Regardless of your kid’s age, it may be that they like playing invented games or the ones they’re seeing on the internet. Although you might be tired after a long day, choosing to play with your kids is essential for their well-being because this keeps them fit and happy at the same time. You can select one or two days a week when you play with them after school. It’s also your chance to get in touch with your inner child and improve your relationship with your kids in a fun way.
Parent-child play provides your kid with the following:
- Skills of creativity, working memory, cognitive flexibility and regulation of emotions;
- The base of a strong and healthy parent-child relationship;
- Storytelling skills from where they’ll learn about and develop language skills;
- Social and emotional development;
Remember that besides offering your kid financial support, it’s also important to be there for them when needed and allow yourself to let your guard down sometimes and play like no one is watching. This is especially important if your kid is an introvert who struggles at making friends and engaging in playing with others at school, so next time your child asks for you to play with them, don’t push them away and just have a fun playing session.
Bottom line
Keeping your kid healthy is essential for building a happy life for them. So, provide them with fun activities that keep them in shape, but also consider their opinion and enroll them in classes they enjoy.
