Parents Page 

As a parent, you want your child to be healthy and happy, and encouraging activity into your child's life can help to achieve this.

Why should you encourage your child to be active?

• improving health - physical activity can help build a healthy heart, develop stron muscles and bones and may help reduce the risk of some chronic diseases in later life
• reducing body fat - children who are overweight or obese are more at risk of developing diabetes
• reducing anxiety and stress
• helping your child feel good about themselves
• improving social and moral development
• increasing opportunities for your child to mix with others and make friends

How much activity should you child be doing?

Children and young people should aim to participate in activity ot at least moderate intensity for one hour every day.  This can be done in short bursts of 10 minutes or more, and could include walking to and from school, PE lessons, active play with friends, sport or structured exercise.

Examples of moderate intensity exercise include

• brisk walking
• active play
• swimming
• cycling
• dance
• most sports
• games

It is also recommended that children do some activities twice a week that enhance and maintain thier muscular strength, flexibility and bone health.  This could include climbing, skipping, jumping or gymnastics.

What can you do to help?

1. Encourage your child to participate in PE lessons
2. Give your child opportunities to be active - as part of thier everyday routine eg. walking to school, playing outside, through informal activity in thier leisure time eg. cycling, dancing, plying in the park, and through taking part in specific activity sessions eg. after school clubs, sports.
3. Help your child to practise basic skills such as running, jumping, kicking, catching and throwing - this will increase their confidence and enjoyment when taking part in many physical activities and games
4. Encourage your child - particulary when learning a new skill
5. Participate in activities together
6. Be a role model - children learn by watching what their parents do.  Show your child that you enjoy and value activity.

Encouraging activity at home

• Put some music on and encourage your child to dance - even better dance with them!
• Do household chores together
• Walk with your child to the local shops or to school
• Set 'rules' on the amount of time your child can spend watching TV and playing video / computer games
• Spend time playing active games with your child in the house and garden eg. skipping, 'chase', hide and seek.

Encouraging activity in leisure time

• Encourage your child to spend more time outdoors, let them invite friends over to play
• Check what after school clubs are available and try one
• Find out what is going on in your local area - leisure centres, clubs, activities - look in your local paper, or on your council website
• Be active with you children during the weekend - walking, cycling, swimming
• Take part in sponsored activities, like bike rides, walks and fun runs
• Check if there are any local activity schemes running during the school holidays - many schools, community centres and leisure centres organise these. 

Ideas for Under Fives

• Go to parent and child sessions at local leisure centres or swimming pools
• Spend some time playing in the park on the way home
• Encourage your child to spend time playing with friends and siblings
• Copying actions such as 'Simon says' isolate body actions and use children's love of copying. Try providing opportunities to use wheeled toys with pedals
• Give children lots of time and opportunities to repeat and practice actions
• In a safe, hazard-free space, let infants spend time lying on their front, back and sides, let them roll over, creep and crawl. 
• Try to limit the time a child is inactive and encourage their natural instinct to move
• Try devising imaginary journeys like 'a day at the beach'. Be aware of how miming the various stages of the journey (getting dressed, going from A to B, playing together once you have arrived at the destination and so on) can develop key skills, such as balance, spatial awareness and co-ordination

For more information click on the following links -:

Get Kids on the Go! - British Heart Foundation

Encouraging your under 5's to be more active