Exercise and good nutrition are essential for growing little ones. The two combined are the building blocks for strong growth, development, and overall wellbeing. We’ve put together basic recommendations to ensure that your child is staying healthy and active this summer.
Healthy Nutrition
Feeding little ones can be challenging, especially when you have a picky eater. Good nutrition is essential for growing and development. When cooking meals, look for healthy and wholesome ingredients to create a nutritious meal. Foods that are nutrient-dense, like apples, make for great snacks. Try to limit their consumption of sugary, processed, or fast foods. It acts as empty calories and will not provide them with the right nutrition to grow up strong. Eating nutritious meals and snacks at a young age will help them develop good eating habits for when they are older.
Exercise
Children are full of energy, and it’s essential to allow them to use that energy to play or be active throughout the day. Children of all ages should aim for at least 60 minutes each day to play in the yard, ride a bike, swim, or even go for a walk.
For young children, toddlers, and preschool-aged, aim to get 60 to 120 minutes per day of active play. This could be playing with blocks, playing outside, or playing with friends. It will encourage them to use their movement when playing. It is recommended to limit screen time for young toddlers to about one hour per day.
Kids 6 years old and older should be getting an hour of moderate to vigorous activity every day. This activity could be running, swimming, or jumping. A few days of the week, they should be doing activities that encourage muscle building through activities like climbing or movements like pushups. These activities are not only fun but will help them build habits for when they are older.
While it can be hard to get kids off of screens, be sure to encourage activity through sports or games, it will allow them to have fun and burn off energy at the same time. Encourage movement around the home with your children. Whether you walk around your neighborhood, walk to school, or walk to the park, movement and play should be promoted and encouraged. If you are looking for a local park, we’ve pulled together a list of our favorites parks and playgrounds in Boston.
Esplanade Playground
The Esplanade Playground is right along the Charles River, making for the perfect place to spend the afternoon to run out any extra energy. There are climbing structures, zip lines, swings, a merry-go-round, and even a disc swing.
Sweeney Playground
Sweeney’s Playground is in South Boston and is known for its famous ropes course. The park is a half-acre with basketball courts for older kids and even a splash park in the summer. This is the perfect park for children of all ages!
Martin’s Park
Martin’s Park is in the Seaport, right next to the Boston Children’s Museum. This park was built in memory of Martin Richard and was designed to mimic nature, with a log maze climber and even realistic-looking rocks for climbing. There is a large ship for kids to play on and let their imagination run wild.
If you are looking to get your children out and about this summer but have a busy work schedule, we’ve got you covered! Let us help connect you with qualified nannies.