Eight Ways Even Busy Families Can Encourage Healthy Habits for Kids

When I was growing up in the 80’s and 90’s, we rode our bikes constantly. We rode to school during the school year and to the pool come summer. We roller skated and played outside endlessly. No one was thinking about exercising – we were just having fun.

Now I have kids of my own, and I constantly wonder if they get enough outside time. Unstructured active play time is important to kids’ health and development. Yet schools and daycares skip recess if the weather is too hot or too cold. A poor air quality index can also keep kids inside. And since my husband and I both work full time, there often isn’t much time before or after school to ride bikes or go to the playground.

With a full schedule, how can you encourage your kids to be healthy and active? It’s all about prioritizing outdoor time, getting creative with activities and modeling healthy behavior for your kids.

 

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Being Active During a Busy Week

On Monday through Friday, it’s all about building fun activities into your schedule. In the summer, take advantage of warmer weather and longer days to get outside with your kids! During the winter, you may have to get creative to keep your kids active.

Seek out Daycares that Value Outdoor Time

Before your kids start elementary school, you can often choose between different care situations. When you’re touring daycares or talking to care providers, ask about outside time. Sometimes daycares are limited by state laws about when kids can go outside, but ask how they navigate that. Do they have an indoor space kids can use for active play when the weather isn’t cooperating? Do they have scheduled play time every day (preferably at least twice a day)?  Can they rearrange their outdoor schedule to work around the weather?

Just by asking these questions, you’ll get a great idea of how they value outside time. If the daycare is dismissive, they may not prioritize outdoor play. On the other hand, if they respond enthusiastically to your questions about time outside you’ll have a good indication that they think it’s important.

If you’re not pleased with the answers you’re getting at bigger corporate daycare centers, you may want to consider an alternative arrangement. A nanny, for example, won’t be bound by laws about outside time like licensed childcare facilities are. It’s something worth considering. Just remember that you have choices!

For Older Kids, Get Creative Before and After School

As your children enter elementary school, you might not have the flexibility to choose your school situation. Our neighborhood elementary school has one short recess period per day, so we have to get creative to get my daughter outside before or after the school day.

One option is to build outdoor activity into your school drop-off or pickup. We walk to the bus stop a little early and play outside for 15-20 minutes while waiting for the bus. Many families do the same in the afternoon if their child takes the bus home.  If you’re close enough to walk or ride a bike to school, that’s another great option for kids.

If your schedule means that kids are in before school and/or after school care, assess the choices. You may be able to find a program that builds in lots of outside play. You could also consider a babysitter who would come to your home. This would allow your kid to have some unstructured active time while you’re at work.

Choose Activities Carefully

Organized sports can be a great way to get your kids active. Keep this in mind when you’re choosing activities for your kids. You may want to think about finding outdoor sports that your kids can do when the weather is nice. Indoor sports, like dance, martial arts and gymnastics can be a great way to stay active during the winter.

Just be aware of all of your commitments so you don’t overload your schedule. During the winter, you may be able to handle more activities since outdoor unstructured play is tough when it gets dark so early. When the weather is warmer and the days longer, you may want to encourage more outdoor play, whether organized sports or unstructured playtime. You may find yourself continually trying to find the right balance between organized sports and relaxed active play and that’s OK! Every family is different, and you’ll figure out what’s right for you.

Have a Picnic

If you can find the time, spend a summer evening having a picnic at a local park. Even if you can only make this happen once or twice during the summer, it’s a great way to spend time outside. This is also a great memory for your kids. To keep it super simple, pick up sandwiches along the way so you don’t have to worry about making and transporting food. It actually doesn’t take much longer than making dinner when you keep the food as simple as possible. Spend time letting the kids run around or play on the playground if there’s one nearby. They’ll burn some energy and that’s guaranteed to make bedtime much smoother!

Seize the Ten Minutes

Kids can also spend a little time outside while you’re making dinner or cleaning up from dinner, if they’re old enough to be trusted outside alone. (If they need supervision, you could always divide and conquer with your partner.) Drawing with chalk, blowing bubbles and jumping rope can be done without much adult help. If you’re willing to keep a closer eye on the kids, they could ride bikes or scooters too. Even a few minutes outside seems to help my kids sleep better. You may not have an hour, but make the most of the time you do have.

What You Can Do as a Family

As parents, you can find small ways to help the whole family stay active. Whether that’s exercising with your kids or modeling healthy choices, you’re in a great position to influence your kids’ future habits.

Find Outdoor Activities You Can Do Together

When it’s nice out, there are lots of things you an do outside as a family. Take a walk or hike at a local park. If your kids are younger, bring a baby carrier or hiking backpack. They’ll love the scenery, or maybe take a nap, and you’ll get a great workout.

If you have older kids, encourage them to walk even for a short distance. We often do a short hike with the kids to a small creek. We take a break while they play in the creek, and then we hike back to the car. It’s fun! (Except for the time I saw a huge snake.)

In the summer, we love to go to the pool as often as we can. We started going hiking and to the pool every Sunday, so they kids have gotten used to it and will ask to go hiking each weekend. It’s really fun to have that built into our regular rhythm. We also like to walk back home from the pool. It’s a short walk and it give us a chance to dry off.

Even during the winter months, you can hike or walk outside as long as you dress warmly. Playing outside in the snow can be fun for everyone. I tried snowshoeing while pulling my daughter in a sled in Colorado once. She loved it, and I got a serious workout. We plan to take them skiing for the first time soon, too.

Indoor Activities Work, Too

If it’s not feasible to go outside (like on a dark winter evening), consider family-oriented indoor activities. My family does martial arts, which is a great sport to do inside year-round. Many gyms have childcare or kids’ activities, so the whole family can be active at the same time (although not necessarily doing the same thing). Indoor pools are super fun, especially during the winter when outdoor pools may not be an option. From trampoline parks to skating rinks, there are actually a lot of ways to stay active when the weather isn’t cooperating.

Model Healthy Choices

Even if you don’t exercise with your kids, you can show them that you value being active. When you go for a run, let your kids know what you’re doing and why before you leave the house. Have your family come to your sporting events and your spouse’s so they can see you doing what you love. (There’s no better cheering section!)

Exercise at home while your kids play. My kids like to join in when I do an exercise video at home, and they love to watch and cheer when my husband and I lift in our garage gym.

It’s All About the Little Things

When you’re trying to maintain an active lifestyle around work, school and other commitments, it’s the small choices that count. Involve your kids in the activities you love, and they’ll have fun and develop healthy habits for a lifetime!

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