The Importance For Kid’s Brain Development To Stay Active During Winter! (and tips on how
I have a extremely smart 7yo, that just like any kid his age loves watching TV or playing video games. He is also a very sensitive boy and has issues focusing. Some of the recommendations we got was to limit electronics (especially video games) and keep him active. Therefore we limit, but not prohibit, electronics at home. Video games and iPads are allowed only on the weekends and time limited.
This cold season, with a newborn and a toddler, it has been challenging to stay as active as we should. But exercise is so important there should be no excuse to at least try. Exercise brings health to their brain, releasing needed chemicals and hormones that help with focus, attention, sustained energy and feeling good. Our kids nowadays spend much more time hooked up on video games or tv shows more than ever before. Video games can cause hyperarousal and affect the development of their frontal lobe as it matures. Kids brain, especially boys, don’t fully mature until around age 25, yes 25!!! Girls brain takes around 2 years less, so there is a biological reason why boys can be “more immature”.
Kids over stimulated with electronics “will have trouble paying attention, managing emotions, suppressing impulses, following directions, tolerating frustration, accessing creativity and compassion, and executing tasks”. Having a 1 year old and a new born has been hard this winter at keeping him active and this past winter break felt like forever. So unlike other years when I was excited to have a snow day for school, today I felt overwhelmed. Life is not perfect , nor motherhood is easy, but we do what we can. Here are some recommendations on how to keep kids active during cold long winter days! 1- Bundle up and go for a walkand . Having a newborn has made it harder, but when possible, even with cold weather we walk to the bus stop. 2- Play some music loud and dance! It is not uncommon for us to play music after dinner and turn our kitchen into a dancing floor, my 15-month-old loves it especially; she goes nuts and it’s so cute to watch! 3- Try indoor sports. We are doing indoor soccer now and doing tennis on Saturdays. The frequency of classes is less but it is something. 4- Kids can help on house chores that require physical activity. My son recently applied salt on our driveway and helped rake leaves. He enjoyed it a lot! 5- Grab any opportunity for social fun active interactions. We went yesterday, for instance, to his school skate night. 6- Take advantage of any sunny warmer day! Not all days are rainy and cold, so make sure you get out whenever there is a chance. Go to the park or hang out with your neighbors playing outside! 7- Not everything is physical... being busy doing other things will keep them away from electronics. We are big board game players at home and love to read. Since we have 2 babies at home playing short games for two players works best for us on days like today (unless we do a family game night and wait for the little ones to be asleep). Spot it, Ring it, Chutes and Ladders, and Zingo (math bingo), are some of our favorites. These are not exercises but keep them entertained free of electronics. Life with 3 kids and two under two is rough, but I try my best and these had been some of the things that have worked for us. Not perfect but we do our best! How do you keep your child active during the winter?
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