Incorporating physical activities in your child’s daily schedule may seem tasking but it doesn’t have to be. Parents either go out of their way to keep their kids active or very often do not find enough time to involve physical activities in their daily schedule. All in all, there’s a high chance that your child is either not getting enough opportunities to use their energy or becoming lazy enough to avoid any activity that requires mental processing. Here are a few tips to encourage play time in your kids without tasking your own schedule.

1. Be a playmate
Being an adult is not easy, but so is being a child. Understand your child does not hold the same comprehension level as you do. You have to get to the level of your child if you wish for them to cooperate with you during playtime. Give them a comfortable environment around you. Be their first friend. Indulge in pretend play activities like a dollhouse or fantasy oriented play like superheroes.
2. Baby steps
You don’t have to go all adult mode all the time. Baby steps are all you need to get your child ready for some fun activities. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that children get at least an hour of physical activity daily. This hour could be stretched out during the whole day. Simple steps like asking your child accompany you for a short walk. Turn park time into family picnics. While you don’t have to this daily, routine park days encourages the child to look forward to them.
3. TV Time
The TV still holds the place of the most entertaining object in most households. Many parents complain about their children being glued to their television. A child who lacks attention in other daily activities may sit through hours of watching aimless TV. Encouraging children to help around household chores during the advertisement breaks, asking them to count the number of steps it takes to reach the kitchen from the couch.
4. Motor skills
It is essential for a child to build their motor skills/abilities to be able to participate in physical activities. Skill building can be made enjoyable by bringing in variety in the activities and games your child prefers. While making your child walk/run ask them to change direction every 2 minutes or so. Introduce new games tools gradually, bring in different sized balls asking your child to pick them and throw them in different directions.
5. Sports
Introduce different sports or child to gauge their interest in them. Some children select sports as their physical energy outlet and prefer routined coaching over a variety of physical activities.
6. Modeling
Last but the not the least, be a role model. Help your child learn through observations. Model the desired activity you wish for your to perform. Help them through their process of understanding and performing them.

Lea Menzes
Clinical Psychologist, EN1 Neuro Services