Movement Doesn't Have to Mean Sport

10 easy ways to get moving after school — without calling it exercise.

When we say we'd love kids to move more, it's easy to picture football practice, swimming lessons, tennis coaching or an hour at the basketball court.

But movement doesn't always need a uniform, a coach or a timetable.

Sometimes it's simply going downstairs to find your friends.

A walk around the block.

Cycling to the shop.

Three songs played very loudly in the living room.

Because not every child loves organised sport. And even kids who do play sport don't need every bit of movement to be structured.

So on days when there is no practice, here are a few easy ways to bring a little movement into Beyond School.

10 ways to move without “doing sport”

1. Take the long way home
If there's a safe opportunity to walk part of the journey, take it.

2. Go downstairs
Sometimes all you need to say is, “Want to go down for a bit?” Friends usually take care of the rest.

3. Put on three songs
Their choice. Turn them up. Dance until song number three ends.

4. Take the wheels out
Cycle. Skate. Scooter. Ten minutes counts too.

5. Walk the dog
The dog gets a walk. The child gets some fresh air. Everybody wins.

6. Throw something
A ball. A frisbee. Even a rolled-up pair of socks into a laundry basket.

7. Take the stairs
Turn an ordinary part of the day into a little extra movement.

8. Help with something that moves
Wash the car. Water the plants. Carry groceries. Movement doesn't always need to look like play.

9. Take an after-dinner walk
No destination necessary. A little walk and a lot of conversation can be a lovely way to end the day.

10. Ask them
Instead of “Go exercise”, try:

“What do you feel like doing?”

You might be surprised by the answer.

The bigger idea?

We don't need to turn every child into an athlete.

And we don't need to turn every free hour into another scheduled activity.

Sometimes we just need to make moving a normal part of everyday life.

No scores.

No stopwatch.

No pressure.

Just move.

TRY THIS TODAY

Pick one thing from this list.

That's it.

And if it turns into 10 minutes of movement, great.

If it turns into an hour of play with friends, even better.

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