Your kids have worked hard all year long, completing countless homework assignments, projects, and performances. That means the time has come to spend the three months of summer turning into a couch potato, right? NOPE! Inspire and motivate your children to stay active and productive over summer break this year! Our AllKids Gilbert Pediatric Urgent Care physicians explain why staying active over summer break is so important.
Make the Most of your Time
Those summer months come and go all too quickly. To make them last even longer, encourage your kids to go to bed at a decent hour and wake up early. Sleeping in until noon every day will throw off their internal sleep cycle and make it hard to readjust when school starts again in August. Oversleeping can have many other negative effects such as loss of energy, loss of bone and muscle mass, excessive fat storage that can lead to obesity, and back pain.
Sleeping the recommended 8 hours a night will give them more time and energy during the day to play with friends, swim, work on creative projects, and enjoy their summer vacation to the fullest! Plus, waking up early with them will give you a chance to do activities outside together before the hundred-degree heat really sets in.
Take a Break from the Tech
Technology is everywhere today and it’s so easy and fun to use, even for kids! However, staring at screens all day can really start to strain your eyes. Plus, why talk to your friends virtually, when you can talk to them in reality? Encourage your child to interact with other kids their age this summer by setting up play dates and small parties. The social interaction will help them develop important social skills while they are not in school.
Always Learning!
It is also very important that your child keeps their brain active! Childhood is a period of immense physical, personal, mental, and emotional growth. Reading frequently and watching educational materials online over the summer months can have an enormous impact on your child’s educational excellence and ability. Find ways to make learning fun, like reading together as a family in silly voices, practicing fractions while baking cookies in the kitchen, and doing simple and fun science experiments in the backyard.
Keeping your child’s body and mind engaged during the summer months will help them to retain knowledge they learned the year before, and excel in school the following year. For more tips and tricks for how to keep kids healthy, active, and safe, follow AllKids Gilbert Pediatric Urgent Care on Facebook, Twitter, and Google+ today!