1. Incorporate the Whole Family
Family, and especially parent participation, can be the best motivator for encouraging kids to exercise and make it fun. If the entire family is playing a game, your child is more likely to join in and enjoy himself. Simply saying "go outside and play" is not a good way to increase the amount of exercise your child gets. The child may be unsure of what to do or bored; he may think playing alone is not fun. So pick up your baseball or football, slip on those tennis shoes and head out for some old-fashioned games like catch and tag or a simple neighborhood walk/jog. Your kids will fondly think of these times as fun games with the family and not exercise.
2. Organized Play
Exercise for the sake of exercise is not "fun" for the majority of the population. This is especially true for kids who may not be able to cognitively link health and exercise. Therefore, you need to link exercise and fun for them. A good way to do that is through organized play. This works for children of all ages. For infants and toddlers, "play dates" are a great start to teach them exercise is fun on a subconscious level. They will be having so much fun it might cause tears when the date ends. There are also gym-style classes for infants and children that are taught by professionals and utilize specialized equipment that may really spark the interest of your child to continue exercising. Depending on the age, parents may or may not be co-teachers in this type of setting.
3. Help Them Find a Favorite Sport
Another form of organized play most suitable for children 5 years of age and up is sports. Check with your local recreation departments for popular low-cost or free opportunities. Schools also offer sports teams, but they may be based on ability and not making the team really takes the fun out of exercising. So be prepared to have backup opportunities ready, such as private and public leagues as well as individualize or group lessons. This way, if your son loves basketball but does not make the school team, you can sign him up for the county club that has open participation. These types of teams are usually less competitive and inherently more fun anyway.
Don't be afraid to look for sports that are not mainstream for your child. The typical team sports may not be a good fit based on her natural inclinations and ability. Think outside the box, like rock climbing, golf, dance and skateboarding. You can sign your child up for classes and lessons that will not require a tryout, meaning no letdown for not making the team which equals more fun during exercise.
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