From Couch Kid to Active Kid

Posted on July 1, 2019 by leona • 0 Comments

If there is one thing the boys enjoy doing the most, it is screen time. Be it playing on the iPad, Youtubing on their laptops, or watching cartoons on the Telly. Which is why it will take more effort for us as parents to get them out and moving so they do not become Couch Kids (Couch potato kid version).

Actually, both my boys love being outdoors. Which is why doing something outdoors is usually seen as a rewarding time for them. Unfortunately, sometimes there is just so much homework to be finished before they can get outdoors. We modern parents also spent so much time at work from 9 – 5 so the kids end up having to wait for us to be back before they can go outdoors. It is unlike those days when our parents leave us to our vices and it was safe enough for us to go out on our own. I guess those are barriers to letting kids be active nowadays. Nevertheless, with a balanced life as our life goal, we still strive to plan their week and ensure they get their fair share of active lifestyle a least also once a week. So what are the activities that we can do with two pre-teen active boys? Most of our activities are pretty much zero cost and easily accessible. Check them out to see which you can get to this weekend.

1) Hanging Out In Neighbourhood Playgrounds

I must say we have been doing this since the boys were born. Before they could even walk, we would push them in their prams for ‘walks’ in the playground area. Thankfully, in Malaysia, every residential area has at least a small playground. Some bigger residences have really nice big playgrounds which we would frequent if they are open to the public.

There’s certainly a lot of things to do at the playground, monkey bars, balance beams and more.

We don’t exactly go to just our neighbourhood playgrounds. Sometimes, we purposely search out bigger places we can bring the boys to, there are some amazing lakes and parks all around Malaysia that are free access to all.

2) Get them in a sport

There’s no doubt Josiah takes after the dad, he loves cycling. On weekends, the father and son will go cycling about town. Jordan has yet to graduate to the big bike but I guess it is only a matter of time.

Sometimes we go hiking as a family. I believe this is a good time to start, start them young. If not, they will never know the beauty of nature as they are growing up. There are many hills in Malaysia and trails for simple hiking. When they get bigger, maybe we will go real mountain climbing together.

Swimming is also another essential skill for us. We got the boys to take swimming classes from young and regularly bring them to the beach and the pool. For them, going outdoors is always a fun time, it is not hard to remove them from the couch when you show them how fun being active really is.

3) Wall Climbing in KidZania

Of course, knowing the unpredictable weather in Malaysia, it can sometimes get too hot or too wet. When the weather is not permitting but we have already planned to go out, we will stop by KidZania to scale the wall in a safe and clean environment.

This might look easy, but it’s not an everyday easy feat for kids. Josiah always gets a sense of accomplishment after climbing to the top and ringing the bell. Besides that, it also boosts his confidence and removes his fear of challenges and strengthens his arms and legs too. It’s just fun and I wish I can climb up there too. Of course, there are so many more activities to do there that is sure to keep the kids running around and throwing away their Couch Kid habit. Do you have any ideas on how to get your kids from couch to active lifestyle? If so do share with us in the comments below too!

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