Aren’t kids moodier and crankier these days? Isn’t this generation of toddlers easily bored, stressed out, and inattentive. You hear the stories every day and you wonder what made these kids so different from your generation. Why can’t they focus on one task? Why are they so disinterested in everything except their gadgets?
Pediatricians said that children who are exposed to gadgets at an early age tend to be fidgety, anxious, and prone to throwing temper tantrums. They have never experienced the joy of looking outside the window during a road trip because their eyes are glued to the screen. Some of these kids never played Simon Says or hide-and-seek because they want to watch videos or play video games instead.
It is up to the adults in their lives to change this habit. No matter what ages your kids are right now, that is never an excuse to let them develop bad behavior and habits because of too much screen time. Here are some fun activities you can do with kids to encourage their curiosity:
Sports
Forget about contact sports right now such as basketball, soccer, and football. Focus on a sport that is vastly different from what they usually watch. How about horseback riding? Wouldn’t kids love to interact with farm animals such as a horse? You can take them to an equestrian park and let them ride a few ponies. They will learn the basics of how to hold on to the reins and direct the horse using headstalls. They will even develop a love for animals.
Biking
Take your kids biking at the park. If they don’t know how to bike yet, let them ride with you. It’s a great exercise for you, but an even better activity for the kids. They’ll learn about nature. They’ll also love the idea of spending time with you outside the home.
Baking
Kids love cookies, cupcakes, and everything sweet. Of course, you shouldn’t let them munch on these sugary goodies all the time, but you can turn this love for sweets into another experience, too. Why don’t you bake healthy treats with the kids? Whip up cookies, oatmeal bars, brownies, and cupcakes. It’s one of the best activities you can make with kids, young and old alike.
Read Together
Do you know that love for reading comes from the parents? You instill that into your kids as early as possible. Some parents read to their kids the moment they come out of their wombs. Reading helps develop their vocabulary, language, and cognitive capacities. It’s one of the best things you can pass on to your kids.
Dance
Play a song and dance around the house. Kids love music no matter what their ages are. It’s the earliest language and sound they can recognize. Kids learn how to hum even before they can say dada or mama. They recognize sounds and even rhythms even before they recognize their names. Kids also have a lot of unspent energy, so dancing will help shake that off.
Gardening
You can also introduce your kids to gardening. Help her care for the plants in the garden. Even the process of watering the plants will help your kids understand the importance of the environment. It will also teach them that when you nurture one thing, it will grow under your care. Gardening will teach kids patience because they’d have to wait weeks before they see their work bear fruit.
Zoo
Kids are naturally interested in animals. Take your kids to the local zoo. They will love seeing animals they only see in the movies. However, make sure to explain to them that caging animals in a zoo is done only for educational purposes. There is a whole world for animals in the wild. The cage is not where they naturally belong.
Board Games
You never know how fun those simple board games are to your kids. Whether it’s Snake and Ladder, Othello, Monopoly, or Checkers, these traditional games will make you reminisce of the time when you play them with your friends. Tell your kids about your childhood friends. Some of them are their godparents, so it would be nice for your kids to know what you have been doing when you were kids, too.
What your kids want is not to play video games or watch YouTube all-day-long. They want to spend time with you. The gift of time is the most important thing you can give to your kids. You don’t need to spend 12 hours a day playing with them. Just make sure you have a couple of hours a day exclusively for them.
