With concerns over childhood obesity and scientific evidence stressing the importance of leading an active life in the news, we’ve never been more aware of the necessity to keep our children active

.One such report this week proved that sitting for long periods of time increases the risk of illness, including diabetes and heart disease*, whilst another showed that those who enjoy an active life were likely to live longer and stay healthier**.

Yet watch a toddler run around a playground for five minutes and you’d be hard pushed to understand where these problems come from. The truth is that despite most children being naturally physically active, pressures as they grow up such as homework, a busy family life or worries about not being good at sport, can get in the way of doing enough daily exercise.

Helping your child get to grips with a few key activities and skills will help set them up for an active life. Here are five activities that will instil a healthy sense of adventure and love of being active from an early age.

Taking to the Water

Learning to swim is a

natural step in a child’s development .Once youngsters have learnt through structured lessons at school or a local facility, taking them to the swimming pool on a rainy day can be a great way to burn off some energy. There are also plenty of add-on activities to progress their love of being in the water, from fun inflatable splash sessions to more competitive activities and team sports, such as water polo, diving and swimming clubs.

Where to Swim

Swimming.org has a ‘Poolfinder’ tool to help you find your local pool, family swimming activities and clubs. Most local swimming pools will provide swimming lessons to help get your child started safely and build confidence.

Picking up a Racquet

Racquet sports are great social activities and brilliant for improving coordination that can be used across many sports. It’s also not limited to the court, as tennis coach for Mark Warner family holidays, Henry Emery, explains: “You can introduce a child as young as three to tennis as it’s from this age that they’re able to begin to learn hand eye coordination. Get them started at home with a tennis ball by practising catching and getting use to the bounce of a ball. They can progress to using a tennis racket and playing against a wall.”

Where to Play

To get

started, after teaching basic skills at home, introduce the rules of the game at an outdoor tennis court which are usually available for free or a small fee in most towns. To invest further in the sport, many sports centres and racket clubs will offer kids clubs and lessons.

Reading a Map

In this day and age when we are more likely to pick up a smart phone or sat nav to find our way from A to B, knowing how to use a map can be a liberating experience for kids and the start of some great outdoor adventures. If you don’t have one, purchase an Ordnance Survey Explorer Map, and let your child help you plan a route. Pack a lunchbox, clothes for all weathers, a camera and mobile phone before heading off on your own adventure.

For something more structured or to introduce a competitive element, it’s worth trying orienteering where the aim is to navigate in sequence between a set of control points and decide the best route to complete it in the quickest time. Orienteering events and clubs are split into age groups, starting with ten years and under and going right up to 80 and over.

Where to Start

A good place to start is the National Trust for ideas on country walks, coastal paths, gardens and parks. British Orienteering holds orienteering events and 26 community orienteering club nights in the UK with the aim of providing weekly training and activities in a non-competitive environment to develop skills in people of all ages and abilities.

Riding a Bike

Cycling can be the source of many family adventures and learning to ride a bike is a skill that will last your child a lifetime, giving them independence through a healthy mode of transport.
Chris Gleeson, Mountain Bike Guide for Mark Warner’s activity holidays***, explains: “A mile can seem like 10 to a seven year old, so start gently with a few short rides before you plan a whole day out. Keep it fun and adventurous by choosing a round-trip route,

planning some pit stops along the way to re-energise and an end destination for kids to look forward to.
“Cycle to a cafe, the beach, a castle, a park for a picnic or a friend’s house that’s close by and stop at interesting points along the way where you’re likely to spot animals, get a good view and pass through various types of scenery.”

Where to Go

If you have young children a good place to build up a child’s confidence is on family-friendly cycle routes around local parks. To keep older children challenged, jump on the train with your bikes and explore new territory.

Flying a Kite

In the age of advanced computer games like Call of Duty it might sound a bit old school to encourage your children to take up kite flying, but the experience, from choosing the right kite to understanding how to pick a good flying day, will give kids a great sense of achievement and appreciation for the (real) natural elements. Firstly you need a kite, choose between deltas, diamonds and dragon kites for light to medium winds, then look out for days when the wind is between 5-25mph (when leaves and bushes are waving in the wind but not really blowing about).

Where to Fly

Find a flying space that is clear, open and away from roads, power lines or airports. Open fields, parks and beaches are great for flying kites. The more room you have, the more line you can let out. For inspiration visit one of the kite flying festivals held across the country and have fun spotting weird and wonderful kite designs.

October 2012

References
*Sitting for long periods ‘is bad for your health’, BBC News, http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-19910888
** Enjoyment of life ‘key to living longer’, BBC News, http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-19926775
***Mark Warner has led the way in family holidays for over 30 years. Mark Warner packages provide superb childcare with kids clubs for all ages and free evening crèche service. For more information, visit www.markwarner.co.uk.

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