Christmas Gifts for Active Kids
quality time
moments that matter
If you, like me, are pondering what to get the kids in your life for Christmas, read on. As I’ve written before (here and here), the holidays are something I face with mixed emotions. The time with family, festivity, and food is something I look forward to each year. But I struggle with the expense, consumerism, and STUFF. On the way home from school the other day, I tried to explain to my kids why there would be a limit on the number of Christmas gifts. We talked about finances, needs versus wants, disparity in the world, and we talked about plastic—specifically about my kids’ plastic toy kitchen. I explained to them that we would do our best to pass this kitchen along to other kids once they no longer wanted to play with it. But, if it got broken and we couldn’t donate it, we’d just be adding to big heaps of trash in the world that take a long, LONG time to go away. Joy to the World, right?
Suffice it to say that Christmas shopping is a time when I contemplate the true cost of things—not only the cost of purchase, but also the cost of picking it up from the floor, dusting it off, repairing it, resolving fights over it, the time required to take it to the thrift store, and finally the environmental cost of throwing it into a landfill. I (along with many other bloggers out there) have written about alternatives in previous posts, including focusing on experiences instead of things, but this year I thought I’d take a new tack: This month I’m suggesting gifts that give back to kids’ health—specifically gifts that promote physical activity.
Kids who are more physically active tend to be healthier both in the short and long-term, and good health is truly the gift that keeps on giving. I also recognize that “winter is coming.” We have long months ahead with kids cooped up inside (getting my kids into winter clothes is a real struggle; they’d rather just hang in their PJs indoors—even if they are bouncing off the walls and said doors). Some of the gifts listed below will help kids burn off energy inside too.
Photo by Oleg Sergeichik on Unsplash
Riding toys inspire young children to move. Photo by Caroline Hernandez on Unsplash.
gifts for toddlers
Riding Toys - Riding toys—like tricycles, big wheels, and bicycles—are excellent for teaching coordination, and research has shown that their presence in a play area increases kids’ physical activity.
Wheeled Toys - Researchers looking at physical activity in the childcare setting found that certain toys, like balls and riding toys, increased physical activity for all kids; wheeled toys (like trucks and cars) particularly increased physical activity for boys.
A SAFE trampoline - This type of trampoline is ideal for toddlers and can be a great tool for helping them learn how to jump. It is also an excellent way to burn off post-hot chocolate crazies. The key piece here is the bar. Kids should always be supervised when using the trampoline.
Bowling Ball and Pins - This is a fun indoor option and works on squatting (leg and hip strength), throwing, and hand-eye coordination.
T-Ball Set - T-ball is a great starter set that offers the satisfaction of home runs without the frustrations of strike outs. (p.s. whacking the ball is also surprisingly satisfying for parents)
A Ball - Keep It Simple Santa. Balls like beach balls, baseballs, tennis balls, soccer and basketballs encourage all kinds of skills—throwing, catching, and hand-eye coordination—and get kids running around too. Many softer styles—such as beach or playground balls—can be used indoors.
A hula hoop can be used in place of a jump rope for younger children. Photo by Patricia Prudente on Unsplash
Older Kids
Roller skates - A throwback to the days when we were kids, roller skates are surprisingly challenging and physically taxing. They offer a great balance challenge and an aerobic workout.
A bicycle - We started our kids on Strider Bikes and found that the graduation to a regular bicycle without training wheels went very smoothly for our oldest (our youngest is still on the Strider). Bicycling offers the added bonus of being something the whole family can do together.
A Class - try getting a kid in your life a pass to try a free class like gymnastics, dance, or Taekwondo.
Tickets - tickets to a sporting event or dance performance might be the beginning of a movement passion for your child.
Jump rope - Jump roping has gone to a whole other level in the years since I was a kid, with kids competing nationally and even internationally. You can keep it a little more low key than that and start with jump roping in the driveway. Incidentally, if the jump rope is too advanced for your little one, try a hula hoop as a starting point. Kids can practice bringing the hoop down to their feet, stepping or jumping over, and then bringing it up over their heads to try again.
Be Active Kids, from the Blue Cross Blue Shield Foundation of North Carolina, has even more ideas for active toys here. Finally, don’t be afraid to give the gift of your time and energy. “Gift certificates” for trips to the playground, summertime canoe trips, hikes, dog walking, or any of your kids’ other favorite activities can create precious memories with little impact on the wallet or the environment and leave almost nothing to pick up off the floor….except maybe exhausted parents.
Happy Holidays from Daycare and Development!
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