Getting Non-sporty Kids Active
Photo by Andrea Sánchez
Active for Life notes, “Just like the clothes you prefer to wear, sport and physical activity is a matter of personal choice and taste.” They provide a range of suggestions that might appeal to children who are not instinctively attracted to physical activity and sports.
In an article on how to keep non-sporty kids moving in ways that they will enjoy, Susan Scandiffio offers tips to appeal to a variety of personality types. Some suggestions appropriate to pre-school aged children include:
The Performer
Balloon Juggling: The main objective of balloon juggling is for the balloons to never touch the ground. Start with one balloon and time how long your child can keep it in the air. As their skill develops, add balloons one at a time. Eventually, the game can be made even more challenging by keeping the balloons up with only a right hand, left hand, right foot, left foot, or head.
Music Parades: Choose “instruments” from around your home. Bang a pot and a spoon. Fill an empty container with nuts or dried beans for shaking (ensuring it is well sealed for young children). Bang pot lids together. Use ribbons for twirling. Sing. Inside or out, kids can perform for their siblings, parents, neighbours, or pets.
The Scientist
Boat Builder: What makes things float instead of sink? Build a boat out of loose parts from nature or home, and see if it can stay above water in a kiddie pool, bathtub, local fountain, pond or lake (with parental supervision). Once a floating boat is achieved, see what toys can be placed on the boat without it sinking.
Entomology (bugs!): Search for bugs outdoors. Look under rocks, on the leaves of bushes, or dig in the mud to find various types. Ask questions about them (e.g. how many spots on a ladybug, do rolly-poly bugs really roll into a ball?)
Space Walking: Use a cardboard box to build a space ship. Strap sponges on your kids feet and have them walk on pillows to imitate a space walker.
Fort Building: Get into nature (or the living room on a rainy day) and build a fort. Incorporate basic engineering conversations, like how to keep it upright, how to keep it safe from wind and rain.
The Environmentalist
Gardening: Plant vegetables and flowers in your garden, or on your balcony, or join in at a local community garden. Plus, here are some other tips and tricks for gardening together.
Clean Air Actions: Wanting healthier air to breather will inspire your kids to walk, bike or scooter instead of being driven.
Loose Parts Toys Builder: Encourage your kids to search in nature for loose parts for play instead of purchasing plastic toys. It’s amazing what games and fun kids can devise out of a pile of sticks, a basket of stones, a group of pinecones, a pail of sand, or, and especially, mud!
Hiking: Take your children on a hike and observe birds, flowers, and insects. Find stumps of trees and count the rings to discover the trees’ age. Hop over tree roots. See if you can spot the tallest tree. Look for nests. And if you have little ones who aren’t the biggest fans of hiking, here are 8 ways to make hiking more fun.
The Crafter/Fine Artist
Sidewalk Chalk: Draw pictures on the sidewalk. Create a hopscotch board and play along with them. Encourage them to make a maze to travel through on their trikes or scooters. Have one child lie down on the ground and have another trace around their body. Decorate the body shape by drawing clothes and accessories. And here are some more fun active chalk games to try out.
Rubbing Art: Find a cool leaf and place it on a hard surface. Cover the leaf with a piece of white paper (printer paper is a great choice). Make sure the paper is secure by using a piece of tape at either end or holding the paper for your kid. Using the side of a crayon or pastel, gently rub across the surface of the leaf. Kids will be amazed to see the leaf recreated! Find different types of leaves. Use different colours of crayons. If you walk around the neighbourhood, what else can they find that they want to make a rubbing of? Maybe the bark of a tree? An engraving? There are so many items that your kids can bring to life.
Nature Collage: Take a walk around your neighbourhood, in a park, or on a hiking trail to find items your kids can use to make a nature collage. Can they find feathers, leaves, maple keys, or shells?
Painting: Spread paper on the ground and let your child flick paint using a long-handled sponge to create designs. Or mix two parts washable paint with three parts bubble solution. Lay paper on the ground or tape to a wall or fence. Using different size/shape bubble wands, let your kids pop bubbles on the paper (from close or farther away for different effects).