A study released this week reveals that the overall physical activity levels of Canadian kids are lagging behind those of children from other nations.
Really? But we’re ‘crazy Canucks’. Stereotypically we should be playing hockey, hiking through the wilderness, sledding down hills, and swimming in lakes. What’s going on?
The study, released by Active Healthy Kids Canada, has found that kids in Canada aren’t even close to getting the recommended level of daily physical activity despite ready access to parks, playgrounds, hockey rinks, etc. Based on nine categories, Canadian kids received a grade of D– in overall physical activity, putting it behind Mozambique, New Zealand, Mexico, Kenya, Nigeria and England.
Only seven per cent of kids ages 5 to 11 and four per cent of those aged 12 to 17 get the recommended 60 minutes of daily physical activity of moderate to vigorous intensity.
The study also reveals that, like most other developed countries, Canada gets high grades for physical activity infrastructures and programs, but lags at the back at the pack for overall physical activity levels.
So if access to physical activity infrastructures and programs isn’t the problem, then what is?
Elio Antunes, president and CEO of ParticipACTION says, “Canadian parents look to structured activities to get their kids moving. We have the facilities, we have the playgrounds, we have the arenas, we have the programs. What we’re not doing so well is the spontaneous play aspect. Kids are just not playing within their free time. Their free time is being used primarily with screen time as opposed to active time.”
The solution: get outside and play!
Do your kids need some encouragement to get outside? Check out Just Play Toy Rental’s top 5 most popular summer toys: Eezy Peezy Monkey Bars, GoGo Balance Fun Beams, Corner Drifting GoKart, Jumbo Stacking Cups, and the Step2 Roller Coaster.
You could also put together a summer fun bin to keep by the door or add a few simple things to your yard to make it more appealing to your kiddos.
Another option: do nothing at all. Simply give them time to spend outdoors. After some whining about boredom, they’ll find something to do. (Just make sure it doesn’t involve firecrackers:)
~D.
