Exercise is an essential part of a balanced lifestyle, particularly for children. It significantly impacts a child’s development, improving children’s health and wellbeing.
The United Nations Convention On The Rights Of The Child states that every child has the right to play. Let’s explore why exercise is so important for children’s health and wellbeing.
Exercise improves children’s mental health
Exercise aids greatly in maintaining a strong sense of psychological wellbeing. It’s also an effective tool to manage anxiety, depression and other conditions. This is because when you exercise, the body releases endorphins which trigger a positive emotional response.
The social aspect of sport provides a safe and comfortable place for children to make friends and feel valued, improving their sense of wellbeing. Participating in team sport improves a child’s confidence and self-esteem, promoting a more positive self-image.
Exercise also has the power to challenge gender roles and provide girls with new opportunities for socialisation, skills development and physical activity away from the home.
Exercise develops healthy muscles, bones and hearts
One of the main benefits of exercise is that it keeps the body fit, which is vital for children’s physical development.
When a child exercises, the movement of the bones and muscles increases their strength and endurance. Muscle pulls against the bones, particularly in the arms and legs, which accumulates bone density over time, even with very little weight.
Exercise also benefits organs, such as the heart. Physical activity increases body temperature, causes dehydration and creates demand for blood and oxygen. This requires the heart to beat faster in order to supply the limbs and organs with the sustenance they need to maintain their rhythm. With regular exercise, the heart becomes more efficient over time.
Exercise teaches children new skills
Children learn a range of new skills from exercise, both at a physical and social level.
Exercise improves these physical skill sets:
- Gross motor skills
- Balance
- Coordination
- Reaction time
It also aids in developing these social skills:
- Teamwork
- Interaction
- Communication
When children participate in team sports, they develop and cultivate a sense of belonging, which is critical for their emotional health and wellbeing.
Exercise helps maintain a healthy body weight
In Western countries, food high in calories, fats and preservatives are much more readily available than ever before. Take-away meals, frozen dinners, soft drinks and boxed snacks are just some of the guilty pleasures that can cause weight gain in children.
Children are also much less likely to exercise than previous generations. Video games, television and streaming services occupy their attention, even to the extent of replicating team sports in a virtual experience.
It is essential that children exercise regularly to maintain a healthy body weight and reduce the risk of developing diseases such as obesity, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, cancer and other health conditions.
Exercise strengthens the immune system
Does exercise boost immunity? Although there have been many studies into the impact exercise has on the immune system, it has not yet been proven if exercise has a direct effect on immunity to disease.
What is known, is that exercise keeps the body fit and strengthens the immune system’s capacity to respond to disease. This means that while exercise does not necessarily prevent children from getting sick, it will prepare and strengthen their bodies to fight off any illnesses that may occur.
Exercise is important because it sets children up for a healthy and balanced adulthood
Exercise is about balance and growth. It keeps children physically, psychologically and emotionally healthy, as well as providing opportunities for social interaction and skills development. This means that exercise contributes immensely to child development, setting children up for a balanced adulthood.
COVID-19 has disrupted livelihoods across the world. Many of the communities where we work in Papua New Guinea were already recovering from outbreaks of measles and polio, and are now struggling to cope within an already overstretched health system.
We’re working with local communities to run outreach programs, in order to identify cases of infectious disease quickly, and connect both adults and children with appropriate healthcare. Your donation today will help us continue to run these programs, and expand our reach to ensure every child has a childhood.
National Families Week is held annually in May to celebrate families in all their diversity and highlight their vital role in Australian society. You can celebrate with your immediate family, or reach out to extended family and friends to join together in a range of craft and activities.
To help you celebrate this year, we’ve put together a list of 20 craft and activity ideas that family members of all ages can enjoy! It’ll also help bring the family within and outside your home together while COVID-19 restrictions are in place.
10 family craft ideas
Craft is a great way to bring the family together. It’s an activity that can both be quiet and reflective, or loud and social. Here are some great craft ideas you, the kids, grandparents and friends can do together at home or over a video call:
1. Family portraits
Draw or paint a portrait of someone in your family. This can be as abstract or realistic as you desire. For added effect, write down one thing you love about that person below the picture.
2. Picture frame decoration
Purchase a picture frame and decorate it with your choice of paint, textas, stickers or anything else you can think of! Once decorated, put your favourite family picture in it and place it somewhere special in your home.
3. Paddle pop stick family
Using paddle pop sticks and felt materials, textas or paint, create each member of your family on a paddle pop. Be as creative as you can and include defining features to capture their individuality.
If your family sponsors a child, consider including them in your paddle pop stick family! The next time you write to your sponsored child, send a photo of the completed craft and tell them how you and your family were celebrating National Families Week.
4. Rock painting family
Collect rocks from the garden and paint them as different members of your family. Once finished you will have a rock family you can place in the home or in the garden as special ornaments.
5. Create a household family tree
Get artistic and bring your household together by crafting a family tree. Paint or draw the trunk and branches of the tree, then coat your hands in paint to hand-print the leaves. Have each family member hand-print their leaf on the tree. Once dry, write the names of your family members on their hand prints.
6. Family pictures collages
Collect some of your family’s favourite photos together and cut them into interesting shapes. Paste these on a piece of paper or board to create a collage of your favourite memories together. This will be great to look back on for many years to come.
7. Toilet roll family
Using left over toilet rolls, decorate these anyway you like using textas, paints or materials. Create one for each member of the family.
8. Paint a picture of the family home
Paint your family home on a piece of paper, this can be as abstract or realistic as you like. Make sure you include the garden, any pets and your family outside!
9. Draw your favourite family activity
Every family has a few favourite group activities! Get everyone in the family to draw their favourite. Don’t share the activity until you are done, and at the end, have everyone talk about their chosen activity and why they enjoy it so much.
Watch your family movie nights, picnics, beach trips and holidays come to life in an artwork series you can put on display in your home!
10. Colouring in sheets
Download these colouring sheets from Families Australia and host a family colouring in competition! Hang these up somewhere in the home as a special reminder of your National Families Week activity.
10 family-oriented activities
There’s a range of family-oriented activities you can organise to bring everyone together, particularly during these challenging times. Here are some of our favourite ideas:
11. Research your family lineage
Do some research about your family history and write your family lineage. Going back as far as you can, this is a great way to learn more about the history of your family and share stories of family members and how they have shaped your family today.
12. Write letters or messages to your extended family
You may not see your extended family as often, particularly if they live in another state. This is a great opportunity to write letters or messages to your extended family members. Let them know how much you miss them, and anything exciting that you’ve learned or experienced. You don’t need to post your message, but we’re sure they will appreciate the effort that goes into a handwritten letter.
Why not take this activity a step further and have the family write a letter to your sponsored child? Each family member can write their own letter, or you can nominate someone to write on behalf of the family.
13. Acrostic poem of your family’s last name
Altogether or individually, write an acrostic poem using your family’s surname. This will be a special reminder of the importance of family and can be hung up in your home. Focus on your family values, history and characteristics.
You may wish to pair this activity with a letter to your sponsored child, and include the acrostic poem your family creates in your correspondence. Likewise you could write an acrostic poem of your sponsored child’s name, and include all the things you value about your relationship.
14. Family walk or bike ride
Get active and enjoy a bike ride or walk altogether. Whether you choose to venture far or stay close to home with a short stroll around the block, this will be a great way to have fun and get a healthy dose of exercise.
15. Write a story about your family’s favourite holiday or trip
Sit down as a family, each with a pen/pencil and piece of paper and individually write down the story of your favourite holiday or trip. Focus on what made this holiday so special. Once you’re finished, share your stories and reminisce on your great memories together.
16. Watch a family-favourite movie
Relax and enjoy each other’s company by sitting down and watching a family-favourite movie. Whether it be an old movie you used to love or a new one, this is a great way to come together as a family.
17. List ten things you’re thankful for about your family
Writing lists is a great way to show what you are thankful for. Have everyone in the family write down ten things they are grateful for about your life together. You could pair this activity with a family movie night, and choose a movie about our place in the world as a gratitude exercise.
18. Have a picnic outside
Put away all technology and enjoy a nice family picnic at home. Have everyone in the family help prepare the picnic basket and enjoy the quality time together with meaningful conversation, without distractions and interruptions.
19. Have a video call with your extended family
During isolation, you may not be able to visit your extended family as much as you would do normally, particularly elderly relatives. Organise to have a family reunion over a video call with all members of your extended family. This will help the entire family stay connected, and up-to-date with what’s going on in everyone’s lives.
20. Do some baking together
Get the family together in the kitchen and bake a favourite dessert or dish. Split up the recipe so everyone has a turn at getting their hands full of flour! You may wish to do this as a precursor to a family picnic and enjoy the fruits of your labour outdoors, or organise a bake off with your extended family over video call!
Celebrate National Families Week in a meaningful way with your family
Reflect and celebrate the importance of your family this year by engaging in one or some of the craft or activity ideas listed above. Be sure to talk to your kids about the importance of National Families Week so they learn more about themselves, their family and the community around them.
Have you been thinking about sponsoring a child? National Families Week is a great opportunity to reopen the discussion, and learn more about child sponsorship. Find out more about taking the first step on this meaningful journey
