All children need a minimum of 30 minutes of physical activity each day to maintain their health. The American Heart Association states that, as a parent, you can encourage exercise by reducing the sedentary time your child spends in front of the television or video game console and encouraging outdoor play. Backyard children’s games are an exciting way to get your child physically active outdoors either with you or with other children.
Hide and Seek
In traditional hide and seek, the players choose a home base and an individual to be “it.” While “it” counts to a predetermined number with his back turned or his eyes closed, the other players hide. “It” must then try to find them. Once “it” locates a hiding player, the player must attempt to reach home base before being tagged by “it.” Should he make it to home base, “it” must continue searching for other players. If he gets tagged, he becomes the new “it” and the game begins anew. Although your child can play hide and seek with any number of other children, he can also play the game alone with you if no other children are present.
Scavenger Hunt
A scavenger hunt not only provides your child with exercise, it requires her to use her critical thinking skills as well. Make up a list of items you believe your child can find outdoors. You may choose to time your child or, if other children are present, encourage them to compete in order to locate each list item first. You can list exact items, such as “a colorful leaf” or “a pink rock,” or you can be more general with your list and ask for items such as “something round” and “something damp.” The University of Illinois suggests alternative fun ideas such as asking your child to videotape her search or take photographs of each item on the list as she locates it.
Hopscotch
According to the online game database Streetplay, hopscotch’s origins trace back to military foot exercises performed by Roman soldiers. Modern hopscotch, however, is a fun way for children to not only get their exercise, but if they are very young, learn to count as well.
Draw a series of interconnected blocks on your porch, patio or driveway in chalk. Number the blocks. Have your child throw a marker, such as a stone or penny, into one of the squares. Your child must then hop on one foot through the obstacle, counting as he goes, and only landing on two feet where horizontal blocks connect. Once he reaches the end of the hopscotch board, he must hop back through in the same manner, stopping to pick up his marker along the way. Take turns hopping through the hopscotch board. For an added challenge, tell your child to hop over the block his marker lands in.
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