Even at a young age, children can feel down or sluggish at times. One of the best ways to boost their mood is to move. Moving increases the flow of blood and oxygen to the brain and produces feel-good brain chemicals known as endorphins.
Here are some fun and easy ways to get your child moving at home:
- Get up and dance. Put on their favorite music and dance. Listening to music can be a great mood booster and stress reliever. You can add a little fun to the dance by pretending to play tennis, dribble a ball or do the hula hoop.
- Outdoor discoveries. Put on those walking shoes and take a stroll to discover the wonder of nature in your neighborhood. You can collect items like leaves, rocks and twigs along the way. When you get home, make a book of what you saw or what you collected.
- Keep it up. Blow up two to three balloons and move with your child to keep the balloons in the air. Set a timer or turn on some tunes to challenge yourselves to keep the balloons in the air for the whole time. Mix it up by sitting on the floor. Add a challenge by trying to keep the balloons up using only your feet.
- Make a family move jar. Put the names of some favorite exercises on pieces of paper and put them in a jar. Shake it up and take turns drawing out exercises from the jar. You can mix it up by adding the number of moves or how long you have to do the exercise to the paper. Add things like “Do 10 jumping jacks,” or “Run in place for 30 seconds,” to give the game a new twist.
- I spy hunt. A fun and easy way to get your child moving is to go on an “I spy” scavenger hunt. Take 10 items in your home that will be easy to hide, and write the names of the items down on a piece of paper. Hide the items around the house. Next give the list of items to your child. Challenge your child to try and find the items within a certain amount of time, such as 10 minutes. Mix it up and take turns. Let your child hide the items; now it’s your turn to try and find them.
These are just a few ideas to get you started moving to boost your child’s mood. Be sure to write down any other ideas your child enjoys so you can keep a list handy for the next time they’re in need of a little boost.
For additional resources and information, visit the Sanford Fit website.
Learn more
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- Kick boredom with healthy choices
- Fun ideas to get your family moving
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Posted In Children's, Family Medicine, Healthy Living, Parenting
