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Keeping active has always been important for early years children – and never more so than throughout the global crisis when nurseries and childminders had to close their doors and learning went online.

There is an array of benefits connected with physical development because not only does it help youngsters to understand their own biology, but it provides them with so many wellbeing advantages too.  

Tom Gavin, owner of TAG Sports North West, and our head of new business, John Pickup, recently shared some top tips on how to keep your little ones active. If you missed the original article in the Lemon-Aid newsletter, catch up here…

1. Make it an engaging learning experience

It might sound obvious but young children respond to things they’re truly interested in. So, if you’re setting up something to keep the boredom at bay, firstly make it exciting to look at and give them a demonstration of what’s to be expected, so they have an end goal and can retain information. During a youngster’s early years, short, sharp bursts with easily digestible explanations of what’s expected, work really well.

2.  Alternate between indoor and outdoor play

We’ve all endured a challenging time full of lockdowns, and so it’s important to keep switching up the environment to allow children to have a taste of a different setting. Age-appropriate activities such as small obstacle courses enable them to use different parts of their body – to duck under and climb over things – and throwing and catching games build co-ordination and concentration. What’s more, these can all take place inside and outside the home.

3. Go green

Gardening can be a fantastic way to not only stay active but it helps children to learn more about the world around them – and how important sustainability is. Whether they’re digging and planting seeds or vegetables, or ticking insects off a list in the fastest time during a ‘minibeast’ hunt, these mean everyone gets to enjoy the great outdoors together.

4. Get involved!

Building a child’s independence is vital for their development, but that doesn’t mean you can’t play with them to keep the fun and laughter going.

Choose this time to teach a new skill – such as riding a bike, jumping and hopping, or playing football – or keep adding different elements to games to make them more interesting and provide another goal for children to strive for. That time together is crucial when associating ‘fun’ with ‘being active’.