Category: Well-Being

Some kids are naturally active. They play outside, do sports, and even exercise with you. Then, there are the kids that absolutely despise physical activity. They prefer hobbies that don’t involve exercise, like art, writing, and acting.

But whether your children fall into the first group, the second, or somewhere in between, it’s important to support them in having a healthy, active lifestyle.

Gamifying their fitness routine can encourage physical activity in your kids, whether they love to exercise or hate it. Here’s why.

Why Gamifying Fitness Works for Kids

Gamification is the practice of turning an activity or task into a game or something resembling one. When you add gamelike elements to a sometimes daunting task like exercise, it becomes much more fun and desirable. It’s also easier to complete, which keeps your kids motivated and uplifted.

You can show your children that physical activity doesn’t have to be boring or, worse, so physically and mentally taxing that they never want to do it again. Instead, they can make exercise an enjoyable activity that keeps them fit and challenged.

A Significant Drawback to Gamification

As beneficial as gamifying fitness can be for your kids, there’s a significant drawback to consider. Gamifying fitness can include fun games like obstacle courses, nature walks, and tag. But for this article, we’re talking about gamifying fitness with technology. And that, unfortunately, means more screen time.

Whether your kids are playing a fitness game on their Xbox, following along with a fun workout on their smartphones, or doing some interactive games on their smartwatches, they’re staring at a screen to do it.

Increased screen time for kids can result in a shorter attention span, irritability, neck/shoulder pain, and behavioral issues. It also leads to longer exposure to harmful blue light.

Blue light glasses and filters can help ease the negative effects on your kids’ eyes when they’re engaging with screens. However, it’s best to limit your kids’ screen time. Gamified fitness routines may mean more screens, but that doesn’t mean you can’t put a time limit on how long they participate.

Four Tips for Gamifying the Fitness Experience for Your Kids

Aside from paying attention to screen time, do the following to ensure the gamified fitness experience for your kids is the healthiest and most enjoyable it can be.

Talk Exercise and Fitness Goals With Your Children

It’s incredibly important to talk about exercise and fitness goals with your children. Part of the reason they aren’t excited about physical activities is they don’t have a positive outlook on fitness or any goals to strive for.

Sit down with your kids and discuss getting them to be more physically active. Talk about why fitness is important to their holistic health. See what they say about exercise and listen to why they are or aren’t excited about it.

You may find out they’re struggling with fitness because physical activity is difficult for them in their current state. Or, it just hasn’t been a fun thing for them to do. That’s when you can bring up gamifying fitness.

Once they’re on board with creating a more consistent fitness routine, set some goals. Have your kids write down what they want to achieve as they add more exercise to their lives.

It’s also important to find out your kids’ level of interest in gaming.

Find Out Your Kids’ Level of Interest in Gaming

Gamifying fitness will work a lot better for your kids if they have an actual interest in gaming.

Find out how into gaming your kids are by asking things like:

• Which consoles are they fond of?
• What kind of video and computer games do they play?
• Why do they play them?

Note their answers to these and other questions that give you an idea of their gaming interests.  Really digging into your kids’ gaming interests will give you a blueprint for how to best personalize the gamified fitness experience for them.

Explore Wearables

We’ll get into games and consoles that are good for gamifying fitness for your kids in the next section. But don’t forget to tap into the power of wearables. Wearables are electronic devices that people wear comfortably on their bodies.

Some of the most common wearable devices are:

• Fitness trackers;
• Biosensors;
• Smart health watches;
• Blood pressure monitors;
• ECG monitors.

Wearables can positively impact anyone’s fitness journey, children included, as they make it easy to proactively monitor one’s health. You can also watch fitness videos and participate in games that encourage physical activity from these devices.

The Fitbit Ace 3, Garmin Vivofit Jr. 2, Apple Watch SE, and these other watches and trackers are some of the best on the market right now for kids. Many of the trackers and watches made specifically for kids already include gamified fitness features on them.

Do more research on the wearable tech options out there for kids. If you can take your kids to a physical store that sells them so they can try them out before making a purchase, even better.

Choose the Best Games and Consoles

To truly use technology to gamify fitness for kids, you must make good game and console choices. In other words, choose games and consoles that encourage physical activity.

Here are some console choices to get you started:

• Nintendo Switch;
• Xbox Kinect/Xbox One;
• Nintendo Wii Sports;
• Quell fitness gaming console;
• VR headset and accessories.

Depending on the gaming consoles you have, put these games on your list:

• Wii Fit Plus;
• BOXVR;
• Dance Party;
• Ring Fit Adventure;
• Pokemon Go;
• Zumba Fitness: World Party.

There are many more games and consoles to choose from. Explore them with your children and don’t be afraid to experiment.

Conclusion

Getting your kids to be more physically active can be tough at times. But with the help of gamification, you can spark their interest and keep them motivated to consistently pursue a more active lifestyle.

About the Author
Katie Brenneman is a passionate writer specializing in education, mental health, family lifestyle and online safety. When she isn’t writing, you can find her with her nose buried in a book or hiking with her dog, Charlie. You can follow her on Twitter.

Sunny days can be a wonderful time for fun outdoor activities, especially for kids. While sunny days can be fun, ensuring safety when kids are out playing is vital. Sun safety for kids prevents the effects of excessive sun exposure.  Read on to learn how to protect your kids from these effects and protect them from possible sun hazards.

UV Rays and Kids

Generally, we know that excessive exposure to sun rays poses a great risk to your skin health. You could be exposed to UV rays that could impact your skin significantly. And it is critical for everyone to protect vision from UV rays. For kids, the sun effects are worse. Their skin is highly vulnerable to these rays as it is still developing. UV rays can increase your child’s skin cancer risk and cause skin burns.

Therefore, it is vital to reduce kids’ exposure to sun rays. When your child is outdoors playing in the sunshine, always protecting their eyes and skin is vital. This helps prevent skin damage that affects your child’s skin. Excessive exposure to sunshine can also lead to eye injuries.

How to Protect Your Kids from the Sun

The sun can damage your kid’s skin and trigger conditions like skin cancer. Thankfully, you can protect your kids from the sun in several ways. Here are ways you can do so.

Protect Your Child With Clothes

One of the best ways to protect your child is to cover them up. It is crucial to dress up your child in thick clothes that protect against sun rays. To check if the clothes provide enough protection, put your hand inside the clothes and ensure you cannot see your hand through them. You can also get kid clothes with an ultraviolet protection factor. These clothes have labels showing they can protect against the sun; therefore, be sure to check them.

Since kids with lighter skin can burn easily, always dress them in protective clothing. You should also reduce their exposure to sunlight as much as possible. If your kid wants to play in the sun, dress them in protective clothing covering most body parts. Doing so, you help reduce their exposure to sensitive and harmful sun rays.

Encourage Wearing a Hat

You can also protect your child from the sun by encouraging them to wear a hat. While clothes play an excellent role in protecting your kid from sun exposure, they don’t cover some parts of the body. A hat covers the head and helps keep your baby secure. Use a hat with a brim all the way around covering your child’s ears, face, and neck. It is best to go for tightly woven fabric that protects the skin from UV rays. Light hats with holes in them are not ideal for this purpose. Instead, go for hats that protect against UV rays and their effects. Explore a variety of protective hats at 4inbandana to ensure your child stays safe under the sun.

Use Broad-Spectrum SPFs

You can use sunscreens to protect your kid from the sun. It is crucial to know that not all sunscreens are ideal for children. Only use broad-spectrum SPFs on your kids to protect them from the sun. If you want to identify a broad-spectrum SPF, look at the label. This type of sunscreen is ideal because it protects against the sun’s ultraviolet radiation.

This sunscreen will not harm your child. Broad-spectrum sunscreen protects the skin by creating a chemical barrier that reflects or absorbs UV radiation. This is done before the UV rays cause any damage to the skin.

Choose Quality Sunglasses

Sunglasses can also protect your kids from the sun. They protect the eyes from UV rays and reduce the threat of cataracts. Additionally, your kids wearing sunglasses will protect the tender skin around their eyes from exposure to sunlight. For the best protection, you should go for sunglasses that can protect you from UVB and UVA rays.

Thankfully, most sunglasses sold in the country meet this standard. If your kids engage in outdoor activities, go for wrap-around sunglasses blocking UV rays. You can also stick to these sunglasses whenever your kids are in the sun.

Make Sure Your Kids Are Hydrated

When your body is well hydrated, the sun will have minimal effects on your skin. Therefore, it is crucial to ensure that your kids are hydrated at all times. Let them drink as much water as possible when playing in the sun. Combining this tip with other protective measures will reduce the effects of sun rays. It also helps keep the skin clear.

Set a Good Example

Kids tend to imitate things they see and hear. As a parent, set a good example for your kids. Always wear your hat, sunglasses, and protective clothing when out in the sun. Let your kids know the importance of these measures and the dangers of not doing so. Setting a good example is a reliable way of protecting your kids from the sun.

Safety Tips for Schools

Kids spend most of their time at school. This is why schools must have safety measures. There are several ways schools can protect kids from the sun. For instance, they should encourage kids to wear sunglasses, hats, and sunscreen when playing outdoors. They should also avoid scheduling outdoor activities when the sun is strongest.

More Protection Facts and Tips

Here are more sun safety protection facts and tips you should consider.

• At the Beach – It is vital to use wrap-around sunglasses while at the beach to prevent UV rays from penetrating from the side.
• In the Snow – Ensure your kid wears heavy, protective clothing when out in the snow. You should ensure they have protective headgear at all times.
• In the Car – Car windshields are designed to protect against sun rays. If your kid is in the car, ensure the windows are always up.

Conclusion

It is crucial to protect your kids from the sun. While playing outdoors is fun and exciting for kids, sun rays can be damaging. Use these tips to keep your child safe and with healthy skin. Let them wear protective clothing, sunglasses, and hats that provide the protection needed.

The recent pandemic may have resulted in your kids spending too much time staring at a screen. While it’s understandable to meet their homeschool responsibilities, modern lifestyles often leave your little ones online long after they “punch out” for the day.

The overuse affects their health. For one, kids who spend too much time indoors staring at screens are more likely to need glasses. Furthermore, entire books have been written on the impact of social media and online interactions on mental health in youth.

What can you do? How about reconnecting with those you love the most while doing something more fun than scrolling through Twitter? Here are nine screen-free family activities to participate in this week.

1. Host a Family Game Night

What’s an inexpensive way to get your kiddos off the screen? Bring back family game night. This activity offers the perfect bonding opportunity while possibly making your little one perform better in school.

How? Some benefits of playing games with loved ones include improved motor functioning and problem-solving abilities, helping them perform better at everything from science experiments to essay writing. You can even throw a bit of math and economic theory in there if you can resist flipping the Monopoly board.

2. Recreate the Drive-in Experience

When was the last time you visited your public library? If it’s been a while, you should explore. They have much more than books available for rent, including movie projectors — letting you recreate the drive-in experience at home on the cheap.

Light the patio heaters if it’s a bit chilly and create a space where you have an unobstructed view of your projection “screen.” Bring plenty of pillows, blankets and a big bowl of popcorn to share as you kick back and enjoy a flick with the fam. Better yet, invite a few friends and nurture your IRL social network.

3. Have the Great Kids Bake-Off

Have you seen all the cute kid’s cooking shows on channels like Food Network? You can recreate them at home.

Doing so teaches more than home economics. It also reinforces their math skills, especially if you have to double or reduce the recipe to fit your unique needs.

4. Try Out Escape Games

Escape games can provide a thrilling and challenging experience for families looking to engage their minds while having fun together.

Whether you choose to visit a local escape room or create your own at home, this activity encourages teamwork and problem-solving skills. Many companies also offer Private Escape Rooms that can accommodate your whole family, ensuring a unique experience tailored just for you. Not only is this a great way to bond, but it can also be an opportunity for your family to practice communication and collaboration.

5. Play With Pets in Need

Does your lease say “no dogs allowed,” causing you to deny your child’s desperate pleading for a pet? Why not do some good while letting them enjoy their 4-legged friends?

How? Scores of shelters need volunteers to walk dogs and socialize kitties. You’ll have to fill out an application and complete basic training — growing your kids’ skills. Performing acts of kindness is one of the best things you can do for your mental health, as it prompts the release of positive neurotransmitters like serotonin, dopamine and oxytocin.

6. Go on a Nature Walk

A nature walk is another way to nurture your physical and mental health. Doing so eases anxiety and depression symptoms while lowering blood pressure and helping you manage your weight.

You can make this activity educational if you like. There are scores of plant, animal and insect identification apps to let you discover science out on the trail, and most cost less than $35 a year. Alternatively, you could practice mindfulness, focusing on how you feel and your sensory experience as you stroll.

7. Take Advantage of an Inexpensive Day at the Museum

The museum is a fabulous place to study anything from art to anthropology. It can also be a budget-friendly screen-free activity. How? Many museums offer special family days where kids can get in for free.

Better yet, many such areas feature beautifully sculptured grounds where you can enjoy a picnic lunch. You might brown-bag it but enjoy scenery worthy of the Four Seasons.

8. Family Bonding Through Creative Play

Take your playtime to the next level. Go beyond board games with educational toys that engage fingers and minds alike. Games and toys that require piecing together multi-dimensional structures or puzzles are fun for all ages, including parents.

There is nothing stopping you from working on two projects at the same. Set up two builder-type toys at each end of the table, perhaps one for younger kids and the other for teens. Family members can move back and forth assisting each other to complete each project.

9. Create a Unique Work of Art

Do you want a teddy bear your child will cherish well into adulthood? You can still find Build-a-Bear workshops, sometimes conveniently located in big box stores you frequent anyway, like Walmart.

Alternatively, get creative with clay. Businesses such as As You Wish let you craft custom pottery on their spinning wheels and fire it for you to make a one-of-a-kind keepsake.

10. Build a Better Playset

Do your kids constantly clamor to go to the park? The playground is a fabulous resource, but sometimes, sketchy neighborhoods or even over-concerned parents of other children make it questionable for your kids to play solo.

Instead, consider working on a custom playset in your backyard this weekend. Let your kids help to hone their motor skills and offer engineering advice — how many swings do they want? What could the danger be of placing them too close together? Let them work their wee problem-solving skills. This project may take more than one day to complete, but that’s all the more time to enjoy this screen-free activity with your little ones.

11. Start a Victory Garden

Planting a garden has oodles of benefits. It provides your family with fresh, organic produce and gets you moving in the great outdoors. Best of all, it can lower your grocery bill, and who doesn’t need to save more on shopping these days?

You can make this activity even cheaper if you save the seeds from the produce you already buy. Cucumbers, green beans, tomatoes and peppers are a snap to dry and keep and sprout to new life in the spring.

Screen-Free Family Activities

Are you seeking a screen-free weekend with your kiddos? The above activities provide fun, bonding opportunities and even the chance to sneak in a bit of extra education.

Enjoy these screen-free family activities this week or anytime. You’ll feel closer to your kids and protect their health from too much screen time.

About the Author
Ava Roman (she/her) is the Managing Editor of Revivalist, a women’s lifestyle magazine that empowers women to live their most authentic life. When Ava is not writing you’ll find her in a yoga class, advocating for her children or whipping up something delicious in the kitchen!

When you go out to the mall or a restaurant, you’re likely to see kids of all ages texting or playing games on devices. While many parents find devices effective in keeping their kids under control in public, there are downsides to the constant technology. Here are ways to encourage kids to leave their devices at home.

Effects of Smartphones and Tablets

The average teen spends nearly nine hours a day on electronic devices and many kids find they have an addictive relationship with mobile devices. The addictive tendencies can lead to mental and physical health issues, such as:

• Behavioral problems
• Depression and anxiety
• Sleep disruptions
• Attention and hearing issues
• Obesity

It’s already hard enough to keep your kids offline and taking away the screen can result in bigger issues like temper tantrums or any listed side effects. You are your child’s first teacher, so setting the standard with the electronics from the start is essential to their continued development.

Ways to Encourage Kids to Ditch Devices

If your kids are hooked on their devices, you may find yourself constantly struggling to get their attention. You might be tempted to give up, but you don’t want your child to miss out on quality conversations or meaningful family time. Encourage your child to live in the moment and embrace the important things in life.

Here are some ways to get your children to put down their devices.

1. Maintain a Device Schedule

Setting boundaries for the time spent on devices will limit usage and make monitoring easier.  When you make a schedule, it provides a routine and doesn’t give kids the opportunity to get excited about screen-free activities. Get your child to understand they can only be on them for a certain amount of time and are completely off limits during other times.

Make specific times of the day that are non-negotiable times without devices. No phones before bed or mealtime is a great way to set a boundary to limit screen time but ensure their health is kept in mind. Blue light from a smartphone causes issues in producing melatonin, which regulates your sleep cycle, making it more difficult to sleep.

2. Don’t Use Devices as Rewards

You may leverage device time to encourage your kids to study and do homework — this could end up causing more harm than good. Using them as rewards and distractions may have opposite effects on children.

3. Plan Bonding Activities

Plan some things for you and your child to do that require leaving the phone out of reach. You both have busy day-to-day lives and quality time together might be limited. Try playing games or engaging in activities together, like cooking or gardening.

This is a great time to uncover new hobbies like reading, playing instruments or sports. Find something you enjoy doing together to unplug and engage in hands-on activities.

4. Set Passwords

In reality, you won’t be able to monitor screen time as much as you wish you could. In these cases, technology is not the bad guy. You can set passwords on devices to keep them off when they shouldn’t be on them.

5. Have No-Device Days

When you want a day for the whole family to engage in activities, organize a day for everyone to put them away. You can also educate your child on what it means to take a mental health day to disconnect and recharge.  They will mirror what you do, so it won’t seem as bad when devices are off-limits to everyone.

You can play games together or get out of the house for the evening. Taking them away for the entire day might be challenging, so you can gradually implement them, starting with a particular time of day with no devices and working up to the whole day.

6. Have Break Times

With your child buries their head in their device, they will be a lot of built-up energy, so encourage break times every 30 minutes. It can be anything active, like stretching or walking to get them up out of their seat. Bodies need to move, especially when they’re young. Break up screen time with physical activities to get their blood pumping.

Enjoy More Family Time and Less Screen Time

Navigating your kids’ screen time can be a struggle. Luckily, there are small strategies you can implement daily to enforce limited time on their phones.

Author bio:  Cora Gold is the Editor-in-Chief of women’s lifestyle magazine, Revivalist. She strives to live a happy and healthy life with her family by her side.
Follow Cora on Facebook and LinkedIn.