Creating Active Playdates for Your Child(ren)

As a first-time mother, I’m still getting used to the concept of “playdates.” I admit that I yearn for the days when playing didn’t require a carefully planned calendar and a social secretary. Playdates are a modern phenomenon, one that has developed as a result of our increasingly busy schedules and concern for safety. It used to be that children would simply go outside, round up kids in the neighborhood, and dream up ways to have fun. Kids would often be gone until the streetlights came on, returning now and then to grab a snack or settle a spat. But there is a benefit to a carefully orchestrated playdate: the ability for parents to ensure their kids are spending time being active.

Today’s kids have more opportunities than ever to spend their leisure time being sedentary. With enticing video games and extensive DVD libraries at home, it’s easy to see why kids might want to camp out on the sofa when their friends come over to play. But by setting up an “active playdate,” health-conscious parents can be instrumental in making sure their kids spend at least part of their playtime breaking a sweat. What’s an active playdate? Think of it as a hybrid. An active playdate mixes the positive elements of social interaction with the benefits of exercise. In more concrete terms, it’s kids getting together to bike, skate, hike, dance, swim, jump on a trampoline, play handball, run races, climb rocks, and otherwise have fun while being active.

Because kids usually become less active as they get older, organizing active playdates is especially important for parents of school-age kids. But what is it really like to propose an active playdate to a kid who has spent all day at school being told what to do? Since I’m the parent of a very active preschooler, I decided to consult with a parent who is more experienced in the area. My friend Paula is a physically fit mother to an eight-year-old daughter, Gaia. She makes exercise part of her daily life and has made a conscious effort to instill those same values in Gaia. One of the ways in which she accomplishes this goal is to incorporate exercise with play. When Gaia wants a friend to come over for a playdate, Paula gets to work devising a way to make it active. The other moms love it. Here are her tips for creating successful active playdates:

Be creative. Instead of focusing on all the exercise they’re going to get while on the playdate, get the kids sidetracked by something else. For example, before a walk on the beach, challenge the kids to find as many unbroken shells as they can. Or let them use the second hand on your watch to race each other while jogging at the park. If it’s rainy outside, give them an assignment to choreograph a dance to their favorite song. In other words, focus on the fun.

Have supplies on hand. It’s a lot easier to be creative if you have all the necessary supplies available at home. This can include all the usual sporting equipment, but also unique items like journals to sketch the view after hiking to the top of a hill.

Be willing to strike a deal. If your child and her friend aren’t receptive to the activity you have planned, be open to trying their ideas. Be willing to give up a planned bike ride for a homemade obstacle course in the backyard. If the kids insist on forgoing all activity to sit and watch a movie, propose having a “movie party” after you all take a nature hike. You’ll even make the popcorn.

Step back whenever possible. Remember that kids learn their social skills through play. For this to happen, the experience needs to be as organic as possible. It’s your job to initiate the activity, then step aside and let them negotiate through it.

Paula does admit that active playdates require more work for parents. It would be a lot easier to sit back with a cup of coffee and leave Gaia and her playmates up to their own devices. But she’s committed to making the effort to ensure her daughter experiences the joy of being active.

Have ideas for more active playdates? I’d love to hear them. You can e-mail me at Kristen@HealthNews.com.