subject: When No Other Options Exist: 5 Tips for Creating a Play Date for Your Kids [print this page] When No Other Options Exist: 5 Tips for Creating a Play Date for Your Kids
It's a common problem in modern Americalack of time. Many parents are finding them stretched so thin by the obligations of a modern adult that they don't have time to even let their kids play at all. They only have time to pick them up from school, run a couple errands on the way home, and then get them fed and doing their homework before sending them to bed and doing it all over again in the morning.But it's vital that kids get a chance to playhorsing around with each other is how a growing human develops their thought processes and keeps their body in shape. Whether it be days at the park or a trip to a museum, it might be time to start planning play dates so that you are sure to fit this recreational time in your schedule.It's not ideal by anyone's standards, but planned play is better than none at all. Here are 5 tips to making sure your play dates go well.1. Make it ExactWhen you've come to the decision that there are no other options and the only way your children will get the play time they need is by scheduling it, make sure you are exact about the time it will be done and where. That means you need to know where you're going and the date and time you will go. If you don't determine this precisely, it will likely go undone.2. Make it RegularOne or two play dates is not going to save your kid's childhood. If it is a necessary evil, make it a regular thing. A couple times a week is a good minimum to shoot for, but you should try to give them some time to blow off steam even more often than that.3. Make it ActiveMany kids don't get near enough physical activity, and the combination of sedentary behavior and poor nutrition is leading to shocking rates of child obesity in developed countries. For this reason, try to plan play dates that offer a chance for physical activity.Skating rinks, parks, beaches, water parks, community pools, and basketball courts are all good ideas.4. Make it UnstructuredIt's a good idea to make playtime unstructured so your children can use their creativity and imagination. Sometimes you might want to plan things out a bit, like a T-ball game, but in many cases the best option is to get them somewhere with open space and let them run free. Some play equipment can be nice to have on hand, but don't force them to throw a Frisbee around if it's not their idea of a good time at the moment. Play should be fun.5. Make it Home-basedYou can even plan your play dates for the yard if you don't have enough time for another option. In fact, a play date may become less necessary if you get some activity equipment for the yard, like swing sets, a trampoline, and a small above ground swimming pool. All categories have some very affordable options these days.
welcome to Insurances.net (https://www.insurances.net)
