Keep Your Kids Active In the Yard
By Brandi Goodman
Many parks and playgrounds are shut down for a while with fear about their sanitation. Not many playground facilities get cleaned regularly. Add to that the abundance of children from different households who tend to play at once and it makes for a breeding ground of bacteria with spread of disease possible. Keeping your kids at home and active in your own yard is the solution for the time being.
Get Some Toys and Equipment
An empty yard with nothing in it won't be too appealing to your kids. You should get some toys and equipment that will have them wanting to be outside. For younger kids, play houses, a small slide, and a swing set may work well. Older students may like jump ropes, a basketball hoop, a larger play area, tether ball, or bikes. Encourage them to get outside and use what they have each day.
Bring Indoor Toys Outside
Younger kids may be kept occupied with some of their favorite toys from inside. Bring out a ball, truck, doll, or whatever else they may like and have them use imaginative play outdoors.
Use Chalk
Chalk provides an inexpensive and simple way to get kids active. You can use chalk to draw a board for them to walk, skip, and hop within. Hopscotch, for example, is a popular game that is played using chalk. You can draw squares of one, then two, one, then two again with a repetitive pattern down your driveway. You can even create your own obstacle course for your kids to get through by drawing squares to jump in, marking X's to place their hands for a game of leapfrog, zig-zags to walk sideways, and whatever else you can come up with.
Encourage Them to Help With Outdoor Chores
Chances are, you have outdoor chores for yourself to accomplish if you own a home. The yard needs to be raked. The grass needs to be mowed. Your car may even need to be washed. These options can work for your kids as well as long as they're the right age. Small, plastic rakes and yard tools can be purchased for toddlers while older students will handle the other activities just as well as you once you teach them.
Physical activity is necessary for overall health. Do what you can to keep your kids active in the yard so they can get the exercise their brain and body needs. Plenty of options exist so you can pick what works for your yard and your family. Those without a yard may be able to find some green space elsewhere that is open for public use.
To learn more about your health, wellness, and fitness, see your local chiropractor at The Joint Chiropractic in Indianapolis, Ind.