Physical activity is an essential component of a child’s fitness, well-being, and education. Modern parenting places a high emphasis on assisting them in incorporating it into their lives, but many parents are disappointed to discover their child is uninterested in sports. In this post, we’ll show you how to encourage your children to enjoy sports while still having fun.
Lead by example
Kids learn all of the behaviours and mannerisms from the role models in their lives – you. If they can see you’re taking part in sports and exercise as a natural part of their lives they will automatically assume this is a normal thing to do – which it is! Make exercise and sporting events fun for them by taking them out to kick a ball around the field or practise their throwing skills with a frisbee or tennis ball. The more fun they have with it, the more likely they are to do it voluntarily. You don’t have to spend a fortune, but getting them the right gear to take part in their sport of choice, such as Tennis Shoes from Tennis HQ, or Football Boots, can also play a part in getting them excited about taking part!
Take them to live games
Every child should experience the thrill of seeing a live game at least once in their childhood. There’s something so magical about the electrical atmosphere a stadium gives off, not to mention the chance to watch your sporting heroes live from the stadium! If your child has shown interests in sports like rugby, why not take them to see the Wales rugby team to watch a thrilling match and hopefully get them excited about playing rugby themselves?
Set a challenge
Children thrive with challenges, and they experience challenges every day when they are at school to learn more and refine their skills, so why not incorporate that into exercise and sports too? If you’re going on a bike ride, for example, why not challenge your children to see who can make it to the other end of the field the fastest? Small wins like these will encourage your child to enjoy sports and exercise more often.
Buy toys that encourage physical activity
There are many toys that can encourage physical activity such as bicycles, skateboards, rollerblades and even consoles with games that require you to move around such as Wii Fitness. Giving them access to toys like this will encourage them to do it because they won’t even realise they are playing a sport or doing exercise!
Have your child invite their friends over to play sports
Children are more likely to run around when they’re surrounded by other children. Think about playtime at school when you were younger – it’s likely you played tag and ran around the playground without even thinking about it, right?! Invite your child’s friends over and let them play in the garden!
Encourage them to take part in after school sports
Finally, it’s very likely your child’s school hosts many after school sports for the children to join. Speak to your child’s teacher to see which sports they have taken interest in so you can encourage your children to enjoy sports and to join the after school team. Not only will they be inadvertently doing more exercise, but they’ll have more chance to socialise with their friends too!
