With screens becoming such a big part of day-to-day life, it can be difficult to find healthy ways to keep your kids active. Without the addition of PE at school, it can be tough to get in the recommended 60 minutes of exercise at least 3 times a week.  

Here are some ideas on how to keep kids moving, active and entertained over the holidays!

Bike Rides

There are often many local cycle routes, suitable for various abilities. You may want to go off the beaten track but do  follow the countryside code, and you can go off-road through trails or stick to the road. Sometimes a ride could be a combination of both!

Hiking

Get out into nature and experience what the world has to offer. St. Catherine’s Hill, being mostly an Iron Age hill fort in beautiful countryside, is perfect for a gentle wander or for the energetic kids see if they will try to beat you to the top! You’ll even find some wildlife along the way. If you fancy going a bit further (perhaps your kids are older), try a walk, run, or cycle on the South Downs Way. It’s a 100mile national park trail.

Gymnastics

This is a great way to build coordination, power, and flexibility. There are many centres locally, such as the Active Life Centre in Basingstoke, offering hours of fun. They will run different classes depending on your ability level.

Camping

Camping can be more strenuous than it first seems. From trekking to a camp site, pitching a tent, collecting stone and wood for a fire… when all is done, you’ll probably want to put your feet up as well. You could always stay local – why not start with creating a camp site in your back garden?

Swimming

Another great coordination and endurance builder, as well as being an important life skill! Get in contact with your local pool. There are often kids-only times where there can be more interactive things to do, such as slides and floats in the pool (maybe better for slightly older kids who already have some water confidence and independence).

Rock Climbing

Whilst being a great way to start building some upper body strength, it is also excellent for helping develop problem solving. There are lots of places around where you can sign your child up for an instructor-led group lesson.

Often, the key is keeping to a schedule. If you commit to things and they are booked, they are more likely to get done! You can try everything on this short list… and see what sparks their interest. If they find it fun, they will be more likely to keep it up for years to come!

Heal > Adapt > Evolve