Take them to a playground and they'll run, slide, climb and swing until it is time to leave. Set them loose in the yard and they'll jump on the trampoline or run laps around the house (don't ask me, it's something that they came up with) until dinnertime. Sign them up for tennis or soccer and they'll happily (although not extremely skillfully) participate as much as possible.
However, as my girls have gotten older, it has become clear that getting enough daily activity is more and more of a challenge — did you know that it is suggested that children 6 - 17 should do 60 minutes or more physical activity each day?
Whether because of the increasing amount of hours devoted to school and schoolwork or simply because life is busy, finding the motivation and the time for regular exercise can be difficult. But knowing that healthy, physically-active kids are more likely to be academically motivated, alert, successful, have strong muscles and bones, get better sleep, have a better outlook on life and have an increased self-esteem... well then, let's make time!
Most recently, we had that opportunity with our Fit Made Fun party sponsored by LeapFrog in honor of their new LeapBand...
...and CLIF Bar, creators of the CLIF Kid Zbar Protein bars.
Together, these are the perfect tools to create an interactive experience that makes kids want to get up and get moving!
My daughters were instantly intrigued by the LeapFrog LeapBands, as these cool wearable activity trackers do much more than simply count steps. Instead, after only a minute or two of setup, LeapBand users are able to customize their own virtual pet pal — and the more that the wearer moves, the more points they earn to unlock virtual rewards for their pets and get to new levels!
At the same time, CLIF Kid Zbar Protein are made with 70% organic ingredients, offer an excellent source of calcium and are a good source of vitamin D, iron and zinc. As these protein bars are made specifically for kids' growing bodies, CLIF Kid has paid close attention to the portion size and the elimination of things like high fructose corn syrup, synthetic preservatives, artificial flavors and more.
All that's left is to invite a few friends to join in on some Fit Made Fun party time!
When it comes to motivating kids to stay active, I'm a firm believer that the most important factor is to choose the right activities. If they aren't age-appropriate and enjoyable, kids will soon be bored, frustrated or lose focus. Instead, when an activity is fun, kids want to do more of it! Makes sense, right?
Therefore, we kept our Fit Made Fun party relaxed and informal, allowing the kids to dictate how much structure was involved. As school has just been getting underway around here, it worked out that a bunch of our friends were at our elementary school for a weekend program, backpacks and all!
However, as soon as the LeapBands were spotted, everyone forgot about school-related topics and were clamoring to pick out an animal friend to play with and wanted to immediately get active in order to take care of their new virtual pet.
These LeapBands are so much fun in terms of getting kids up and moving while letting them act goofy and be silly at the same time. If I was to simply tell my kids to "wiggle like a worm" or "waddle like a penguin," they might question my sanity... but as soon as the LeapBand prompts them to do the same thing, they're all for it!
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| Waddling like a penguin and jumping like a kangaroo! |
When the kids weren't engaging their bodies and imaginations with the LeapBands, being able to stop and refuel with the CLIF Kid Zbar Protein bars provided just the right amount of flavor and nutrition.
I am often eating protein bars myself, so my kids were especially excited about getting to have these Chocolate Chip, Peanut Butter Chocolate and Chocolate Mint bars for themselves!
All in all, our Fit Made Fun party ended up being just as fun and low-key as I had hoped. The kids all had a great time wearing the LeapBands, climbing on the park equipment, refueling with CLIF Kid and simply running around being kids while they laughed and played.
With the weather already starting to cool off here in the Midwest, I have no doubt that we'll be reaching for our LeapBands and some CLIF Kid Zbar Protein to keep us moving as we continue into fall and throughout the long winter!
How do your kids stay active?
Find out more about the new LeapFrog LeapBand (MSRP $39.99 in stores, from LeapFrog or on Amazon) by visiting LeapFrog.com and connecting with them on Facebook and Twitter.
More information about CLIF Kid Zbar Protein (MSRP $4.99 for a 5-count box in stores and on Amazon) can be found by visiting ClifBar.com and connecting with them on Facebook and Twitter.
I received free products in order to host the LeapFrog and CLIF Kid sponsored MommyParty. The opinions shared here are honest and my own.
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