Many preschoolers are active from the time they get up until the time their heads hit the pillow at night. You may wonder if this level of activity will lead to any good habits in their futures. Motivating preschoolers to be active may encourage a love of fitness that can last a lifetime. How do you go about helping them develop an interest in fitness? Here are some ideas which may motivate preschoolers to be fit now and later in life.
Activity at Home
In the same way you may go to work, play is a child’s work. Allow your preschooler plenty of free time to play and use their imagination. Actually, you probably won’t have to do much motivating to get your preschooler to be active, but are they active for a minimum of an hour each day?
Find things your preschooler will have fun doing that will keep them active. Instead of taking them on a stroll around the local track, why not take them on a hike through the woods. Help them notice the different animals in the woods, toss rocks into a stream, or collect different leaves. This will make the walk much more enjoyable than trudging around a track.
Take into consideration your child’s skill level when trying to find activities for them. You wouldn’t ask a toddler who’s barely walking to run up and down a basketball court. Teach them to throw and catch large balls before encouraging them to catch a baseball.
Activity at School
Does your child have access to a playground at preschool or daycare? Maybe all they have is a large yard. That’s really all they need if there is room to run, roll, and dance around. It’s not necessary to have several pieces of athletic equipment. All that’s really needed is a variety of items which encourage large motor movement such as a couple of large balls, hoola hoops, something they can balance or climb on, and plenty of space.
The Need for Activity
One of the main reasons preschoolers need to be active is that being active helps their bodies develop in many ways. Exercise builds strong bones and muscles. It also improves large and fine motor skills as well as introduces them to safety procedures and rules.
Consider games you played as a child. Many of them included running, jumping, skipping, hopping, throwing, and turning. Think about the fun your preschooler could have playing Hide and Seek, Simon Says, Follow the Leader, and Freeze Tag. There are so many great active games. You are sure to find one your preschooler will enjoy.
It’s not hard to get preschoolers to be active. The problem is to motivate preschoolsers to be fit beyond these active years. Start encouraging fun exercise activities now to help preschoolers become health and fitness conscious as they grow into their adult years .
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