Finding fun and creative ways to keep your kids active and healthy can be challenging with the fast-paced lives most families lead. One simple solution is to introduce your children to gardening. No matter where you live - city, country, small town, urban or rural - you can find a way to garden.
Gardening is a great way to get your children outside. Be prepared for a little mess as young children will be especially curious and want to dig in the dirt, look for worms and other bugs, and squish stuff between their fingers and toes.
Think about the types of plants you like and that grow well where you live - introduce your children to the things you love and they will learn to love them as well.
GET READY
Figure out what you might grow and where you could grow it.
Young children are small and may be overwhelmed by a large garden plot.
Start small with container gardening or raised beds.
Share the planning, purchasing, and planting together. The more involved, the more likely children will enjoy the experience.
GET SET
Consider your child's age, size, and interest level. Perhaps you will want to purchase some small child-sized garden tools that will make gardening more enjoyable.
Prepare your garden area. Consider your location. If you live in an apartment perhaps you could have permission to plant a small container garden or a rooftop garden.
If having a garden or flower bed is not possible where you live consider starting a community garden. Ask your local community for permission to use an empty lot. Invite your neighbors to join you and make the time a social event.
GROW
Once you have your tools and have decided upon the plants you wish to grow--start planting.
Remember that there will be maintenance involved in whatever type of garden you decide upon: weeding, watering, fertilizing and more.
Make sure that you break each step down small enough for your child to enjoy and be safe.
Most of all encourage your child to have fun while being active.
When your family is so very busy, spending time outside can seem like a luxury. However, research shows that time in green areas is important to overall health and well-being of children as well as adults.
Children have always learned by being curious and asking questions. One of the things families can do is take young children outside and let them explore nature. They are often fascinated by water, sand, mud, rain, clouds, plants, etc.
A University of Illinois scientist has found that children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) benefit from being outdoors in green environments. After spending time in green space outdoors, children with ADHD are much more ready to learn and focus when they return to an inside setting as compared to those spending time indoors or in outdoor non-green environments. Parents or caregivers who allow children some time outdoors after school in a grassy yard or tree-lined park might be making it easier for them to focus on homework later.
Researchers have also found links between early experiences with the natural world and development of a child's imagination. Imaginary play is an important factor in a child's healthy social and psychological development. In addition, pleasurable outdoor experiences have been found to contribute to recall skills, creative problem-solving and creativity in children.
Why is outdoors better than a gym? Children (and adults) benefit from being in the sunshine. Being able to see nature refreshes and calms a child and reduces stress. Many schools have shortened recess and physical education classes and children are not as active as they need to be. This decrease in activity for children may be showing up in later lifestyle patterns of inactivity which reduces overall physical and psychological health.
What can you do?
Schedule some family time each week to enjoy the outdoors.
Make this an important family routine and commit to it.
Use the time to encourage your child to be outdoors and explore the environment.
Demonstrate to your child ways to observe nature - talk about how the seasons change, make comments about the types of flowers, colors, and beauty you observe.
Take time to incorporate more outdoor activity into your family life.
Make family vacations more outdoor oriented.
Consider taking active vacations where you go bike riding, snowboarding, or hiking as the main theme of the vacation.
Discuss ideas for outdoor activities with your family. Decide what actions you might take to use the outdoors, be more active, and learn about fun things to try. Everyone will feel better.
Authors: Giesela Grumbach, Extension Educator, Family Life, Matteson Center, and Sherry Rocha Family Life Educator, Macon Unit. Spring 2008
Spending Family Time Together: It's the Little Things That Count!
Healthy active families enjoy being together. Family time doesn't have to be elaborate or expensive. Often, the simplest activities contribute to important family bonding and long-term memories.
When children are asked, "What makes a happy family?" they respond "Doing things together!" It may seem so obvious that it gets overlooked, but doing things together as a family builds family strengths. People sometimes say that it's not the quantity of time that is important but the quality of time. However, it is difficult to have a relationship with someone you do not spend much time with on a regular basis.
Here are ideas for busy parents on how to turn everyday activities into family time…
* Play games or dance as you cook, shop, clean, or take care of pets or farm animals.
* Expand healthy ideas into everyday family life…
Sing or listen to music together.
Exercise together.
Cuddle together with a good book. Make it a part of your everyday routine, perhaps each night before bed.
* Sit down next to your child to pay the bills, and go through the mail as he colors a picture.
* Limit TV time. Some TV time together might be worthwhile in strengthening families, but there are better ways families could be spending time together.
* Plan to use car travel time as a special "together time."
Sing
Talk about your day and ask your child to talk about hers.
Tell stories about your childhood
Have children tell you a story; identify colors, shapes, or objects along the road
* Plan a special night, perhaps each week, when the family eats the child's favorite food.
* Give your children a responsibility in the grocery store. Ask them to:
Match the coupons with the labels
Point out where the bananas are, etc.
Play games such as "I see something" and have the children guess what you see
* Along with a goodnight hug and kiss, tell your child how much you appreciate all the good things he did that day. Be specific.
Don't feel guilty. Family time may not always end up "greeting card" happy. Quality time is simply the things we remember, that we hold on to at the end of the day.
Author: Diane Ryals, Family Life Educator, Morgan-Scott Unit
In the last 35 years, the rate of being overweight has more than doubled for 2- to 5-year-olds. Children who are overweight at age 8 often become obese adults.
Young children are far less active than in years past. When they are sitting they are not running, jumping, or playing active games that help them burn up calories, develop muscle strength and set the stage for a healthy future life.
The American Heart Association recommends that all children over 2 years of age engage in enjoyable moderately intense activity for at least 30-60 minutes every day. This can be broken up into shorter periods that together equal 30-60 minutes if all at once is not possible. Parents can help their children get moving in many ways.
Parents can encourage their children to be more active.
A parent should not force a child to exercise. Instead, they can:
Talk about how fun it is to be active.
Encourage new activities or physical games.
Limit inactive TV, video game, or computer time to 1–2 hours per day total.
Lead by example.
Parents can support their children's activity by doing things to make it possible. Parents can transport children to places like parks or recreation centers, or pay fees for activities or equipment needed for their child to participate in the activity.
Parents can show kids how to be active by being active themselves. This happens when children see their parent playing a sport like softball or lacing up running shoes. It also happens when parents are active WITH their children such as when parent and child walk, either to get someplace (like school) or for fun, or kick a ball together. This kind of parent-child activity is great for the health of child AND parent, but it also allows families to spend some extra enjoyable time together.
Parents should make sure activities are age-appropriate. Young children should not be in the weight room or even on a treadmill unless under medical supervision. Activities for young children, in most cases, should not be overly competitive or structured and the emphasis should be on being active in order to have fun. Team sports should be postponed until 6-8 years old for most children.
Parents can set the stage for their child's future health by creating a fun and physically active lifestyle for the whole family. Everyone benefits from that.
Physical activity has lots of benefits for children. Research has shown that they sleep better, eat better, are healthier, and often behave better when they have participated in physical exercise. In addition, physical activity can help a child to develop a more positive self-concept and reduce stress.
Childhood obesity is a growing concern in America. Young children are spending more hours in front of the TV or computer screen than being active. Research also shows that:
● Young children are typically heavier and fatter today than they were 20 years ago.
● According to Mediawise, a national institute on media and the family, kids today spend more time in front of a screen than any other activity except sleeping.
● Overweight children are more likely to become overweight adults and develop illnesses related to being overweight.
● Preschoolers are already starting to imitate the lifestyle behaviors parents are modeling.
Children like being active when it is made to be fun, enjoyable, and part of a family routine. Parents are role models for children and are in a position to promote positive attitudes towards physical activity. This may be challenging for parents especially with young children who have fewer independent skills than older children, or who need supervision. And sometimes a parent's own motivation to maintain an active lifestyle when tired and stressed can be a challenge.
Here are some ideas for family fun:
● Young children can help with active household chores made to be fun (or part of a game). Setting the table, sweeping the floor, raking leaves, carrying groceries, washing the car, weeding the garden while playing music, dancing, or having a contest helps make the work fun and hold a child's attention.
● Take your child and tricycle to the park or other safe area where you can walk while the child rides beside you. You will both benefit from the exercise and your child will develop motor skills.
● Water has greater resistance than air and makes exercise more effective. When at a pool or lake, always stay within arms reach when your child is swimming or playing in water.
● Use a large ball to play kickball, volleyball, or badminton.
● Take extra balls to the tennis court. Kids can hit and chase balls while adults play tennis.
● Play family hopscotch, Frisbee, or fly kites together.
● Try horseback riding, bowling or skating. Your child will develop new skills and you'll be modeling active fun at the same time.
If your child likes to spend hours in front of the TV, limit TV viewing. If your child likes to eat while watching TV, provide nutritious and low-fat options such as fresh fruit and whole grains snacks.
Good lifestyle habits are often caught rather than taught. Exercise will provide you with more energy and help manage your stress. It will increase your family's physical and psychological well-being.
Written by: Patti Faughn, Family Life Educator, Springfield Center, Spring 2008
Patti Faughn
Extension Educator, Family Life
Springfield Center
P.O. Box 8199
Springfield, IL 62791
Phone: 217-782-6515 FAX: 217-782-8886 pfaughn@uiuc.edu
