Where do your kids play?

How Fit Are Your Kids?

With back to school in full swing across the continent some of us may be realizing that our kids are returning not quite as tanned and fit as we thought they might. In fact, the average North American kid seems to have a stronger knowledge of the summer’s most popular TV shows than stronger biceps and quads.

While the average North American child may return to school sporting a little more around the midriff, it doesn’t mean we need to lose hope. As parents we can combat childhood obesity in one very simple way–and that is through active, outdoor play. All year long.

An easy way to start nurturing that love of the outdoors and active play is through local playgrounds–an outdoor structure designed specifically for kids to climb, jump, swing, slide, and move around upon. Playgrounds not only help create physically healthy kids, but also promote mental health and developmental skills.

5 Ways Playgrounds Create Healthier Kids

1. Make Friends!

Playgrounds allow children to meet other neighbourhood kids and make new friends. When friends are at the local playground it encourages other kids to play there more often. In fact, Pediatrics recently reported that kids are more likely to be active if they have active friends.

2. Developmental perks!

Playground play is social which allows kids to engage in social play and receive immediate feedback on their actions and behaviours. Vital for healthy child development.

3. Motor skills!

Playing actively outdoors is one of the best ways to combat childhood obesity. And playground play is naturally active. As well, kids who play on irregular play surfaces tend to have better motor fitness.

4. Promotes mental health!

Children who play outdoors have reduced depression, and anxiety, both sadly on the rise among children. Playgrounds are a fun way for kids to spend a lot of time outdoors.

5. Builds safer neighbourhoods!

Playgrounds can act as a social hub for a neighbourhood, bringing families outdoors, allowing neighbours to meet one another, and to look out for one another. And if you feel safe sending your kids out to play, they are going to play more often and are less likely to have obesity-related health issues.

What do you think? Shall we meet up in the playground this fall and build us some physically healthy individuals?

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Can playgrounds create healthier kids? http://t.co/oS0sgk2p

— Jean Oram (@KidsPlay) September 4, 2012

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Connect with Jean on Google+.

Fathers and play. Play and fathers.

Is there anything as much fun?

9 Benefits of Fathers Playing With Their Kids

1. Kids who have fathers who are active in their lives are less likely to get into trouble with the law and engage in deviant behaviour. Active dads look like: dads who play with their kids, encourage their kids to join in on activities they are doing, and fathers who talk to their kids.
2. Speaking of talking to your kids… Did you know that fathers have the greatest impact on the level of language skill acquisition in children aged 3 and younger? In other words, dads who talk and play with their kids really boost their language acquisition.
3. When fathers are active in the lives of their kids and take time out to play, guess what happens? Their kids do better in school!
4. Kids, especially boys, need roughhousing with their dads. Wrestling and other roughhousing is important social play for boys and helps them develop social skills in a way that comes naturally to them. So dads, ignore the way your wife freaks out and go roughhouse with your kids. (And show her this post.) Roughhouse play also provides essential physical contact that kids need from their fathers.
5. Roughhousing makes your kids feel loved. And if your kids feel loved… you’re going to see them behaving better.
6. Children with fathers who are active in their lives and take time to play with them are more confident, experience less feelings of depression, and enjoy greater life satisfaction.
7. Playing with your kids creates important bonds. If you build them when your kids are young you will enjoy the benefit of those bonds for years to come. (Think the teenage years as well as having kids who seek you out when they are all grown up and have moved away.)
8. Playing with your kids can help decompress stressful situations and allow for opportunities for your kids to reach out to you when they need help figuring something out, dealing with a tough situation and more.
9. It’s healthy for dads too. Sometimes dads feel like the 3rd wheel in a family and by taking time out to play with the kids can help fathers feel more involved and invested in their kids. Plus, it makes dads feel good!
10. The memories. Sometimes memories of the “good” times can really help when the family road gets a bit bumpy. Good memories to lean back on can make it all feel worth while and remind us that good times will come by again. You can also think of it this way: When you look back on the past… where are you going to wish you had spent your time and focus? What memories will you hope you had created when you had the chance?

Happy Father’s Day to all the dads out there! Let’s go play and create some fun memories.

What are your best memories with dad? What memories are you building with your kids? (Moms can answer too!)

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