Isn’t it a challenge to motivate kids to play outdoors? Doesn’t it irritate you that your kids remain glue-stick to their laptops and mobile screens for hours and hours? There is no doubt in the fact children love spending time indoors in front of screens rather than going out to play. This scenario poses a great threat and challenge for parents to aware their kids about the benefits of going outdoors and also to motivate them to play. Below are some of the tips that can help you in boosting their interest in playing outdoors.
1. Take them to a Park
You have to start with patience. If you will burden them all of a sudden, they are gonna back out pretty soon. If your kids are the kinds who always remain indoors, let’s do a gimmick and ask them to accompany you for the evening walk. I am sure they won’t refuse you if you show them you need their help as it’s boring for you to go for a walk alone. Take them to a park and have a walk. After half an hour of walking, start playing a game that would interest them. Repeat this process once a week first, and then increase the pace.
2. Choose Age-Appropriate Activities
Once you have made it a habit of taking them to a park in evenings (that I am sure they would love after some initial resistance), choose the activities for them that relate to their age. If you won’t keep their ages in mind, it will bore them and they will soon be backing out. The best strategy would be to keep the activities simple and provide them with appropriate tools to play with. If your kids are too young, make things as easy for them as possible and avoid giving them complex equipment. What is more, try to take part in playing with them to elevate their interest in playing, no matter what their ages are.
3. Do not Ignore Fun
Kids do not like doing something they do not enjoy. Therefore, there should be a fun element in whatever activity you choose for them. Most of the kids like cycling, so get them a bicycle if they are old enough to ride, otherwise, tricycle would be a better option for younger kids.
4. Take them to Playgrounds
Once they are used to playing outdoors in a park, it’s time for you to take them to different types of playground structures. There’s no better alternative than playgrounds for outdoor play as there are different types of equipment for kids to play with. Some playgrounds have different equipment for different age groups.
Again, you shouldn’t be ignoring the fun element and the ultimate fun for them would be to let them play whatever they want. The free play is the best type of outdoor activity so let your child have it. However, keep an eye on them and take safety measures to avoid possible injuries due to falling or hitting.