Staying Active on a Budget: Fun and Affordable Ways to Keep Children Fit

Keeping children active and fit doesn’t have to cost a fortune. With a bit of creativity and planning, there are many fun, affordable ways for families to stay active together. Getting regular exercise is so important for children’s health and well-being, so making fitness a priority now will set them up for a lifetime of healthy habits. This article investigates budget-friendly ideas to keep children moving and make fitness fun for the whole family.

Get Moving as a Family

One of the best ways to keep costs down is to look for activities the whole family can do together. Going for family walks, bike rides, or hikes are simple ways to stay active that don’t require any special equipment or memberships. Challenge the family to take a new walking route through your neighbourhood each week to keep things interesting. Stop at a park along the way and see who can conquer the monkey bars or climb the highest. If you have bikes, plan fun-themed rides like a ‘Tour de Your Town’ where you pedal around different landmarks. Playing active games together, like tag, frisbee or football in the park, is another way to break a sweat. The key is choosing activities the children enjoy so fitness feels like play, not work.

Explore Local Green Spaces

Take advantage of abundant outdoor options in your community, like parks, trails and open green spaces. Pack snacks and make a day of going on a hike or bike ride. Have contests to see who spots the most wildlife. If near water, build sandcastles and play in the sand. Fly kites, play frisbee and kick balls around to spark creativity with active games.

At Home Workouts

You don’t need a pricey gym membership to get moving at home. There are plenty of free online workout videos for children that will get their heart pumping. Clear some space and have an indoor dance party. Put on some upbeat music and let the children go wild, making up their own dance moves. Act like monkeys and see who can do the most silly jumps, leaps and tumbles. Make fitness challenges fun rather than strict workouts. The key is keeping active playfully.

Engage Their Interests

Tailor activities to what already interests your children. Like animals? Go for a jog and see how many squirrels you can spot. Into superheroes? Strike heroic poses and hold as long as possible. For artistic children, play music and let them dance freely. Use workout videos designed just for children to capture their interest better than adult workouts.

Save Up for Special Experiences

While staying active daily can be very low cost, also try to save for special active treats once or twice a year. Classes, day trips to farms or hiking trails, indoor activity centres, theme parks and camping give children something to look forward to. Foster carers could use part of the fostering allowance for these special experiences. Even simple occasions like mini golf or bowling can feel extra special when saved up for.

The key is making fitness fun first and foremost. Use free options in your community and engage children’s interests at home to get them moving. Save up for special active experiences once or twice annually. Most importantly, choose activities the whole family enjoys together.