3 Tips to Get The Kids Moving This Summer

June 8, 2021
Written by:
Jamie Gaddy
Elementary Homeschool, Homeschool Planning, Homeschool Resources

Guest post by Jennifer Edmundson, Co-founder, Kenson Kids

Every parent knows it can be a challenge to get and keep kids active. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that children and adolescents perform at least 60 minutes of physical activity every day, but with the distractions presented by competing activities – especially in the form of video games and screen devices – this seemingly simple goal can become quite complex. Kenson Kids can help.

Here are three tips for getting your kids off the couch and off their screens this summer:

Tip #:1  Make Kid Activities Fun!

Family game nights can be an excellent way to foster screen-free time with your family. When you make Movez™ part of your family game night, you’re not only spending time together as a family, you and your children are being active at the same time.

To play, kids roll the die and are prompted to choose one of the following types of cards: Act It! (think charades), Find It! (locate an item around the house with a specific color, texture, or that starts with a certain letter), or Do It! (complete the exercise noted on the card for 30 seconds) and complete the task before the timer runs out. The die encourages cooperative play (with sides prompting “All Play” and “Two Play”), and children receive a token for each task they complete before the timer runs out.

Movez™ has also been used for playdates, and even as an indoor recess activity for preschool classrooms on a rainy day.

Tip #2: Incorporate quick bursts of activity throughout the day.

Pick n Roll Movez™ is a cooperative (i.e., non-competitive) game that has no time limit, so it can be used throughout the course of your day, whenever you have a few minutes to spare, and/or as a diversion tactic. To play, kids roll a multisided die containing numbers 1 through 20, then choose an exercise card, and complete the exercise for the specified number of repetitions or seconds

At home, we suggest that parents keep the game on the coffee table and play it with their child during the commercial breaks of a favorite television show. In the classroom, teachers can keep the die and cards on their desks and roll the die when their students are transitioning from one activity to the next, when the class has excess energy, and/or to provide a quick distraction, such as when the teacher needs to speak to another adult in the classroom.

Tip #3: Make exercise part of your daily routine.

Kenson Kids reward charts and daily checklists have helped kids master everything from potty training to toothbrushing to daily chores. In response to growing demand, we developed an Exercise Supplemental Pack, which allows parents to include specific exercises as part of their child’s daily routine

Parents might opt to allow screen time only after their child’s daily checklist is complete, whether that checklist of tasks includes chores, exercise, or a combination of the two.

Building good habits is a process that starts at home. Use these tips to build healthy habits in your family, and help your children get off to a great start!

 

About the company:

Kenson Kids, Inc. is based in Youngsville, NC, and was founded by two Moms who saw a need (as parents themselves) to create high-quality, parenting aid products that really work.  From Reward Charts, Daily Checklists, ID Bands, to Potty Training, Games and Stickers, Kenson Kids’ products help parents, teachers, and caregivers positively influence behavior, manners, and self-esteem, while helping all children thrive at home, school, and in life!

 

More Fun for Kids and Family!

 

 

#ACTIVITIES FOR HOMESCHOOLERS, #ACTIVITIES FOR KIDS, #HOMESCHOOL RESOURCES, #PHYSICAL EDUCATION

Jamie Gaddy

Jamie Gaddy, B.S., M.Ed., Ed.D. has been a college education professor for over 17 years. Education has been a part of her life in both the classroom and as a principal. Six children later found her dissatisfied with traditional school and homeschool became the better fit. She is also a pastor’s wife, editor, and entrepreneur who now homeschools four of her six children in Georgia. Jamie loves to share about her homeschool experience to help other homeschoolers find success. Connect with her at [email protected].