Weddings & Photos Tips for parents Parents need to make “getting outdoors” a planned activity for their children everyday if possible, even if it’s only for five minutes. Ideally we shouldn’t feel the need to prescribe what children do outside, kids are much better than us at inventing exciting games. Let them muck about, shift the balance towards free play and away from adult-supervised play. Plant some ideas, then let the children lead, you’ll be amazed at their innovation. Most children don’t think about keeping a steady pace when out on a walking adventure and they don’t like to be rushed. So be prepared to take rest stops whenever something captures their attention. If they take to building a hut from dead branches and fallen leaves, take a break and watch them at their work, or join in the fun. Ask kids about what they think they are likely to see on a particular walk. Make an eye spy chart with fun drawings representing what they come up with. Get them to tally up the number of times they see each object on their walking adventure. As an example, if you are on a town walk, have the kids mark down how many dogs on leads they see, how many people wearing jandals, how many yellow parked cars, etc. Rather than dragging them along in your wake, let the kids be the guides. Let them navigate the walk and tell the grown-ups exactly where to go. If your kids like to win, play first to the wharf/cattle stop/playground, you’ll be surprised how much energy they muster when they are competing. Another fun idea is to get a pedometer. Keep track of the number of footsteps taken per day and record them on a progress chart. It will motivate kids to try to up their total - even more so if you offer prizes for every few thousand steps.
The Mercury Bay Informer Summer Guide 2013/2014 - www.theinformer.co.nz
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