Nearly every parent wishes that their children were more active. Screen time, video games, long days at school, and other seated activities often get in the way of this goal. That leaves parents searching for ideas.

If you’re wondering how to get your kids to be more active and looking for ways to encourage physical activity, here are a few suggestions that can help.

Use Exercise as Transportation

A great way to encourage physical activity is to use active transportation whenever possible. If you can walk or bike to an event or appointment, consider doing so instead of driving. Yes, it might take longer, but it is good for your health and may just give you an energy boost.

Think about all the places you go and determine whether it’s possible to use active transportation to get there. For instance, if your school is too far to walk, can you bike to it? If not, can you bike to the store or the park instead of driving?

If you’re taking public transit, consider getting off a stop or two early and walking the rest of the way. Every little bit matters.

Involve the Whole Family

Of course, while your focus may be on active kids, the whole family needs to be physically active. Consider going on a family walk after dinner or before bedtime — this can be a great way to spend time outdoors, talk to one another without distractions, and get in some additional physical activity.

You may also want to look for more active ways to spend family time on weekends, such as going for bike rides, hiking, or playing sports with your kids, rather than going to movies or dinners.  

Focus on Fun

You know the expression “time flies when you’re having fun?” The same is true for exercise. Kids will be much more likely to do physical activity if they’re having a great time. Running around a track for an hour might seem like a slog but running around a soccer field during a game, climbing on a play structure, or jumping on a trampoline can be a lot of fun!

Think of things your children enjoy and try to make those into active opportunities. Have scavenger hunts outdoors that involve running around the neighbourhood, for example, or play sports together.

Make Activity Social

It’s much more enjoyable to do an activity when you involve friends. Using this line of thinking, consider planning some active play with your children’s friends. Invite them all for a day at the playground or put together a game of softball in the park. When everyone is together and having fun, it won’t feel like they’re forced to be active. Instead, they’ll enjoy the time together.

An indoor playground is a perfect way for kids to socialize and be active at the same time. And you won’t need to worry about the weather since it’s all indoors!

Limit Screen Time

One thing that often gets in the way of physical activity for kids is screen time. We’re all guilty of spending too much time in front of screens, parents included. For this reason, it’s a good idea to set limits on screen time — this is particularly true when it comes to passive screen time, such as watching TV or online videos. These are sedentary activities that aren’t good for your child’s physical or social development.

If you’re looking for a fun and exciting way to get your kids more active, we’re here for you! Our indoor playscape structure includes jungle gyms, trampolines, slides, ball pits, and many more activities to keep your kids moving and having fun. 

Give us a call today at 905-785-3990 or visit our online contact page to book your family’s next visit.

You might be asking: why is playtime important to child development?  Incorporating constructive play into your child’s daily routines is a great way to facilitate the growth of existing skills and build new ones. 

With the use of blocks, markers, play-doh, or any toy that a child can manipulate to create something new. Children ignite their curiosity while exploring their creativity, improving math skills, and enhancing their vocabulary. 

This powerful learning tool is a fun way to engage numerous skills and create confidence in your child. The following tips will help you incorporate constructive play into your child’s daily routine.

Stick To the Basics

Playtime comes naturally to kids, and we don’t need to overthink it or over-plan when engaging our kids in constructive play. If you provide your child with the tools for constructive play, trust them to choose which toys to play with. 

Try to keep the selection to a minimum, that way they don’t get overstimulated and can’t focus. You can simply lay out some crayons and paper and let your child explore their capabilities, as well as encourage them to try new things or provide your child with building blocks and watch their imagination flourish.

Ask Questions and Be Present to Answer

As your child engages with constructive playtime toys, ensure that you are with them, asking them questions about what they are working on, answering any questions they may have, and assisting them when needed. Your presence will inspire them and encourage them to be confident in their ability to learn and explore new types of play. 

Your company will also improve their ability to communicate and work with others. If they see you building something, they will most likely want to join in and work together.

Use Sensorially Pleasing Objects

Sensory is an essential part of play as it engages all the child’s senses, including touch, smell, sight, hearing, and taste. Using their senses during playtime allows children to develop many critical skills like coordination, motor skills, cooperation, and more. When choosing constructive playtime toys, it’s essential to select sensory-pleasing objects, including materials such as wood, metal, sand, and other items with unique consistencies and textures. 

Engaging your child with constructive sensory play is also a great way to calm them if they feel rambunctious. A gooey ball of slime or a bowl of colorful spaghetti noodles is the perfect way to divert their attention and get them focusing on an activity they can genuinely benefit from.

Create a Calm and Not Overwhelming Play Space

When deciding on an area you want to allocate to constructive play for your child, it’s important to ensure the space is ample enough but not overwhelmed with other distractions. Your child will need an area where they can freely build, construct, and create with the freedom of being nosey and potentially messy.

A great way to keep your child’s play space organized is by investing in several storage bins and labeling them in accordance with each constructive activity. They can have a bin for crafts, blocks, etc. Allowing your child the choice between containers is also a great way to encourage independence and decision-making.

Jumbaloo Playgrounds

Jumbaloo is a safe, structured place where creativity and imagination are free to run wild. Our age-appropriate play structures allow children to work on their coordination, balance, and agility.

Our play experts at Jumbaloo love providing children with the experience to work on their gross motor skills while improving their physical activity.

Give us a call today at 905-785-3990 or visit our online contact page to book your family’s next visit.

Instilling an affinity for reading in your children does not need to be complicated. The joy of reading should be met with enthusiasm as an alternative for the common pleasures kids find comfort in. While staring at a tablet is probably the go-to distraction for kids, reading can be more rewarding and beneficial for a child’s development and their sense of imagination. 

If you want to see your kids reading books on a more regular basis, give these tips a try. 

Keep the topics interesting 

Forcing topics you find interesting onto your children is not the most effective way to ignite passion for literature. The best way to make reading fun for your child is to give them some agency in what they read. We recommend visiting your local library and letting your kid loose in the children’s section. 

The moment you place an ounce of control over what they can and cannot read, you will quickly diminish any chance of getting your child interested in books. With that said, if they do come to you for help in what to read, you can steer them in a direction they might favour. Try thinking about your child’s interests, and help them find books that relate to them. 

Read aloud 

Kids absolutely love it when you read aloud. Have fun with this by performing the story with different voices. When they get comfortable with reading themselves, try including them in some bits of dialogue. Reading aloud also helps your kids understand how to pronounce words and makes them feel more engaged with the story.

Make a special spot for reading 

Every avid reader needs a comfortable reading nook. Create a special spot for your kids to read in peace, so they will feel more inclined to open a book. Make it super cozy with blankets, pillows, pretty lights, and even a tent. You can also set the ambiance with some reading music, usually calm instrumental music. 

Have a read-in 

Instead of movie night, why not host a read-in for your family to enjoy? Have your child choose the book, and everyone can take turns to read aloud. Afterwards, you can discuss the story. Think of it as a sort of book club, and you can even invite your child’s friends over and make the read-in part of a sleepover activity.

Reward wisely – avoid screen time as rewards

The great thing about reading is all the worlds that become open to your child. They are exposed to a wealth of knowledge, which encourages them to learn more. Instead of rewarding them with more screen time, think of better ways to expand their interest in learning new things.

If your child has been reading about dinosaurs, why not take a trip to your local museum? Or have they been reading about animals? Then a trip to a zoo should be in order. 

The point is to nurture that innate desire to learn about the world around them. Books are a great starting point; it is up to you as the parent to continue exposing your child to enriching learning experiences. 

Visit Jumbaloo Playgrounds Today

Another great reward would be to get them more active! Life is all about balance, and sometimes kids want to let loose and have fun. Our fun playground will bring more joy to your child than any tablet ever could. The freedom to run around and play with other kids is a sound way to reward your child for hitting the books. 

Call us today at 905-785-3990 or send us a message via our contact page.

As we welcome a new year, we also welcome a fresh start. The new year is when people often start with promises of new habits and lifestyle changes. We promise to be the best versions of who we are and plan to commit to these promises. Whether it’s eating healthier, exercising more, or saying yes or no more often, new year’s resolutions come in many forms. As you consider these changes, the kids in your life might be curious and want to commit to their own new year’s resolutions. A good new year’s resolution doesn’t have to be rigid and no fun. Find out how experts weigh in on ways to help kids make new year’s resolutions they can feel good about. 

Don’t Dictate Resolutions

When brainstorming new year’s resolution ideas with kids, don’t forget to keep it fun and exciting; this is a great bonding experience where you have the opportunity to learn more about your children and their personal aspirations for themselves. It’s essential that you listen to your child and not try to control or dictate their resolutions. Allow them the independence and responsibility of handling their own resolution. If they ask for your help or guidance, it’s perfectly acceptable to offer them advice and assurance or suggest a resolution you think is manageable and fun.

Take Time Pursuing Big Resolutions

New habits don’t happen overnight. Experts believe that a habit usually takes six weeks or longer to become sustainable. Help your child ease into big resolutions by breaking them down into manageable steps. If your child wants to read more, encourage them by suggesting they read ten minutes a night the first week and slowly increase their reading time each week. Taking time to achieve long-term goals is essential for success, and your child will notice their progress and feel like they’re sticking it through.

Follow Up About Resolutions 

It’s essential that you show interest and support with how your kids are progressing with their new year’s resolutions. Check in now and then and see how it’s going. It would be best if you didn’t nag them, instead be there as a helping hand or a listening ear. Chances are, if they’re feeling like they’re not keeping up with their resolution, they’ll confide in you. If your child feels supported and praised by you, they’ll be excited about following through with their new habits.

Make Resolutions Together as a Family

 Children often take pride and feel good doing things together as a family. Coming up with a family resolution together is the perfect time to let your children guide the decisions while building confidence simultaneously. As a family, you can commit to creating fun habits together. Habits like going on more walks as a family, donating to charities together, or promising to cook one meal together a week. There are endless ideas, and listening to children talk about new year’s resolutions can help guide you in the right direction as a family.

Make Having More Fun a New Year’s Resolution

At Jumbaloo Playgrounds, we believe that one of the top qualities of a good new year’s resolution is to have fun while achieving it. We want to help you keep to those resolutions by providing you and your children with tons of fun and physical activity. Reward your children for a job well done and yourselves as well. Give us a call today at 905-785-3990, or head on over and fill out our online contact form.

We look forward to seeing you and your family soon!