When adults think of children's toys or activities which are
educational they may have a tendency to think of children sitting
quietly undertaking a task by themselves such as reading a book or
playing with a jigsaw. In fact toys and activities which are viewed as
good for a child's education and development are far more wide reaching
than you might first imagine, and can include anything from helping you
hang the washing out to charging about enjoying a noisy game of
football! With today's media hype about childhood obesity never far from
our screens, radios or newspapers the fact that activity can be
educational and good for childhood development is one piece of news we
can all welcome!
Get motoring
When
a child is active they are essentially developing their Gross Motor
skills, recognised as an important contributor to a child's overall
development. These are the skills required to move the larger muscles in
the arms, legs and body, for example to walk, run, throw, lift and
kick. They relate to body awareness, a sense of co-ordination, reaction,
speed, balance and strength. Traditional toys which help stimulate
gross motor development include things like ride on toys, skipping ropes
and bicycles for older children.
Get kids involved
The
great news about encouraging kids to get active is that as busy parents
trying to juggle many activities in your own lives, you can get the
children involved alongside you rather than always separating play time
and 'task' or 'job' time. No one is disputing that one on one focused
play time with a parent or carer is essential for a child's wellbeing
and development but it's good to know there are ways you can
successfully incorporate playing with your child into your own daily
routines so that you can get on with the job in hand while your child
develops, learns and is active alongside you.
Get on ... together
How
many times have you told the kids to 'go off and play' while you get on
with the chores, such as preparing dinner, a spot of DIY or tackling
the ironing bin? Instead, how about getting your child their own toy
ironing board and iron and chatting to them as you 'iron' together, or
their own toolkit so they can feel like they are helping you build that
chest of drawers / hang that curtain rail up? Children just love
mimicking activities undertaken by their older role models and you can
really bond with a child in this way as well as teach them as you go.
Show them how you press the clothes carefully, then hang them up to look
after them so that they begin to learn important lessons such as
respect for belongings. Help them overcome the frustration they will
undoubtedly experience when trying to build something explaining that
it's important not to give up but to keep calm and try again. And share
the excitement and sense of achievement when they do complete the task
in hand.
Get them involved in your hobbies too - if you love being
outside in the garden encourage them to be involved. There are plenty
of children's gardening toolkits on the market which can also double up
for some fun in the sandpit. Sometimes it's not the children's
imagination that needs stimulating, it's our own creative outlook on how
to approach things! So go on, get active, get them involved and have
some fun with the kids!
