Keeping Homeschool Kids Active & Healthy

September 15, 2021
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Guest Author

Guest post by Heidi Rosenberg

The emergence of the coronavirus had a devastating effect on so many activities worldwide. It was so bad that schools and offices had to shut down and everyone was forced to carry on their office or schooling activities at home for extended periods. Though things are a bit relaxed, it is still not like before. Many parents while working from home and homeschooling their kids are quite burdened with other to-dos at home. However, it is necessary to make sure your kids indulge in some physical activities at home for at least one hour every day. Let us see tips on some of those activities.

Regular Working Out and Exercises

Regular physical activities in the form of exercises and workout sessions improve muscle strength and boost endurance. It is a means to healthy living not just for the kids but for the parents as well. You can watch videos online of some routine workout sessions which you can adopt at home. Lead the sessions and make it fun throughout by playing some music whose beats go with the activities.

Having home gym equipment or a garden gym also wouldn’t be a bad idea. Have the kids in mind when purchasing the equipment so that they can be actively involved when you all hit the gym together. Taking to these activities daily will boost the kids’ immune systems, ensure proper blood circulation, and make for sufficient oxygen. These are necessary for good health.

Encourage Them to Participate in Gardening Activities

There is enough physical activity while tending to the garden. The activities build strength, promote sleep, and ensure a moderate weight. All these benefits are healthy for kids and are reasons why they should be encouraged to be part of gardening activities. It could be a morning activity on weekends and afternoon or evening activities during the week. This is because gardening activities can be tiring and sleep-inducing and these won’t be good for the kids’ homeschooling.

Morning gardening activities between 7 am and 9 am, bring more benefits to the kids as they will be exposed to the sun rays which is a source of vitamin D. This vitamin helps regulate the amount of calcium and phosphate in the body keeping the bones, teeth, and muscles healthy. A lack of vitamin D in kids can expose them to rickets, a bone deformity. Exposure to the early morning sun is also known to help the kids sleep better at night.

Allow Them to Join You in the Kitchen

Teaching your kids and getting them involved in the practicals of the kitchen activities is a fantastic idea. It would keep them busy for about half an hour to a full hour every day depending on what meal you would be preparing. You can even teach them some other things like baking cakes, making pancakes, and other eatables that can be prepared with flour. Apart from the fact that these keep them active, the kids also get to learn how to make their own meals at a young age and the safety precautions around the kitchen.

Another advantage of kitchen activities is to expose the body to heat. This elevated temperature helps to burn excessive fat in the body and prevents them from getting overweight. There is also a feeling of fulfillment and happiness when the kids eat what they prepared by themselves. It has a good effect on their psyche and boosts their confidence in handling other things in life.

Get Them Involved in Sporting Activities Outside the House

The social distancing and lockdown in some parts of the world can make you forget that you have kept your kids indoors for a long while. This may start getting them bored irrespective of the activities they are exposed to at home. Sometimes, let them go out in the open to observe nature. Soccer, cycling, skipping, table tennis, and board games like chess, monopoly, and checkers are some of the fun activities that they can partake in. Some of these activities can be carried out indoors but an outside adventure with nature like birdlife and beautiful trees will make things more fun. While having fun, the kids are also getting active. This helps with boosting their moods and keeping their bones and muscles fit. They also get to shed excess fat.

There are some disadvantages that come with playing under the sun, especially during the summer. The kids could get dehydrated, have sunburns, heat rashes, or be exposed to foot fungi. You can find ways to protect the kids from the unhealthy effects these can cause. Read more about safe fun under the sun here.

Do Karaokes and Dancing Activities at Home

Apart from the physical activity associated with dancing and gesticulation when doing karaokes, these musical activities are fun for the kids, boosting their mental strength and kicking out any form of boredom. Allow your kids to be the DJ and have them take turns showing off their best dance moves. Let them also choose the songs they want to imitate for the karaoke. You can make videos of them and watch the videos as a family on the television.

Dancing activities help the kids stay fit. They also have a wide range of physical and mental benefits including an improved condition of the heart and lungs, increased muscular strength, endurance, and motor fitness.

Final Word

Having your kids stay at home for too long because of a pandemic could have a devastating effect on their psyche. This is because they always went to school during weekdays apart from holidays and interacted with friends. There is no better way to push away that feeling from them than by getting them active with fun activities. A plus to this is that when the kids are active every day, it helps them stay healthy and lose excess weight that could result from a static lifestyle with regular food.

This article was contributed by Heidi Rosenberg.

 

Additional Homeschool Resources

How Physical Activity Can Help You Make Friends

Create a Martial Arts Experience at Home

How to Teach Homeschool P.E.