One thing all children have in common is their love of games. While some parents may view games as useless distractions that is far from their only purpose. Games can also teach healthy habits, promote physical exercise, and strengthen their mental acuity. Here are some family games you can play to keep your family fit.
Hide-and-Go-Seek
The unsung hero of children’s games, hide-and-go-seek is more than just a hiding game where you try to keep quiet so as not to give away your position. Hide-and-go-seek encourages short bursts of physical exertion which can help to improve their physical health.
In addition to being a game that promotes healthy exercise, hide-and-go-seek also promotes critical thinking, strategy, and the honing of keen observational skills. This game, while seeming to be a pointless game, is actually a developmental dynamo when it comes to strengthening cognition during early childhood. Of course, reach out to a primary care physician, like Rural Health Services Consortium Inc., for more ideas on activities for better health.
Scrabble
Many families through the decades have enjoyed a quiet evening at home while playing a rousing game of Scrabble. Although this game can be geared towards older children with larger vocabularies, there is a junior version of Scrabble that is suitable for kids that are as young as 5-year-old.
This game can not only hone your kids’ cognitive abilities but it can also help to expand their vocabulary skills, teach strategy, critical thinking, and a healthy sense of competition. And if the game descends into madness, it can even promote a healthy dose of exercise as the kids wrestle with one another and chase each other around the house.
Teeth Brushing Games
Every parent knows how difficult it is to teach their children the importance of proper oral hygiene. Companies that create toys and entertainment for children also understand this. As such, they’ve begun to develop content that is geared towards exposing your child to the ideas of healthy hygiene habits.
Nickelodeon is one such child-centered entertainment company that has begun a healthy hygiene campaign. These online games use your child’s favorite cartoon characters to teach them about cavities, the importance of brushing, and the benefits of flossing.
Soccer
Children of a young age tend to have an endless supply of energy. To help your child to channel that abundant energy, teaching them how to play soccer will provide numerous benefits for their physical and mental health. The physicality of soccer can strengthen their cardiovascular system, improve hand-eye coordination, and prevent weight gain by burning calories. Mentally, soccer teaches kids about teamwork, strategy, exercises their reasoning skills, and promotes a healthy competitive attitude.
When choosing games for your family to enjoy, be sure to include a healthy balance of indoor and outdoor games. Children need fresh air and sunlight just as much as they need rest and relaxation.
