Coped up inside and glued to the screens, its no surprise that children are less active in the summer. A recent study among children 6 to 9 years of age showed that physical activity dropped by 53% during the summer months.
Moreover, time spent in sedentary activities (e.g., screen time) increases. According to the national survey data, children watch more television (+18+ minutes/day) over summer break than during the school year.
This increase in sedentary time is often due to the lack of structure in there days. School days typically involve regular physical activity sessions (e.g., recess, PE class) and limited screen time, which may have a protective effect on children’s health behaviors. The structured days hypothesis suggests that disruptions in such routines are responsible for lower physical activity levels over the summer. This all can adverse reactions to not only a child’s mental, but also physical development.
What can parents do to keep children active during the summer?
Tip 1: Infuse structure into your child’s summer. During the school year, children have to get up and get going, but this may not be the case during the summer. Set up a routine that g
ets them moving. This may involve going to summer camp, taking walks, going to swim lessons, or just having a standing playdate with friends. Also going to bed at a similar time during the summer as during the school year will help your child to be rested and active the next day.
Tip 2: Be prepared for the weather. Heat, humidity, and inclement weather are common barriers to outdoor physical activity. Take advantage of mornings before it really heats up. Water activities can help beat the heat, but also have indoor physical activity options ready to go, like online yoga and PE videos geared towards kids. My kids love dance parties, playing twister, turning board games into active play by running after the dice and adding jumping jacks in between turns. On bad weather days, check out local climbing gyms, indoor playgrounds, or bowling alleys.
Tip 3: Place limits on screen time. If given the choice, many kids will pick screen time over going outside to play. However, if screen time is limited, they may find something more active to do. One idea is to set your devices to not be accessible during school hours (even during summer) and only allow a pre-specified number of hours of screen time. This is how
my kids got into designing obstacle courses outside.
Tip 4: Find a buddy. Kids are more likely to be active when other kids are around. Scheduling playdates, getting involved in a local kids group like scouts or a sports team are great ways to help kids maintain social relationships and encourage active play during summer.
How we at Martial Arts of West End aim to help keep your children active:
Here at MAWE, we offer a number of programs to best set your kids up for success and help teach them the importance of physical activity. Evening class, after school program, & summer camp, we want to keep your kids structured and ready to put the work in all year round! Have a child needing some time away from the screen? Bring them in today for a free trial class!