Keeping Kids Active When
School Is Out
Summer. Time for camp, catching bugs, water parks…and
weight gain? A new study suggests that for the youngest
students, summer months may be worse than the school
year when it comes to preventing obesity.
Charting Weight Changes
About 5,400 children from 310 schools were tracked during kindergarten, first grade, and the summer in between. Their body mass index—a measure of their weight and height, as compared to other kids their age—increased faster and at a more uneven rate during the summer.Researchers think children may eat more during the summer, when the days are less structured. Also, physical education during the school year may help kids burn extra calories.
Warm-Weather Workouts
Just like adults, kids need to balance the calories they eat with the calories they burn to prevent extra pounds. That means healthy eating and an hour of physical activity on all or most days of the week.Luckily, summer’s sunshine offers the chance to get out and get moving. Try these tips to stave off summer weight gain in your children:
- Plan active vacations. For example, take a trip to the mountains and hike or ski. Or, bike around a new city.
- Limit screen time—including TV and video games—to two hours a day or less.
- Encourage your little ones to get outside and play. Hopscotch, swimming, tag, and hide-and-go-seek all count as exercise. It's also a great time of the year for parents to play outside with their children.
- Walk with your family instead of driving to visit friends or run errands in the neighborhood.
