Keeping The Fun Active!

It’s getting very close to that time of year where parents and kids are counting down the days to the summer holidays.  Despite my age I can still strongly remember the thrill of the last day of school. Highlights include getting to bring a toy and everyone breaking into a chorus of Queen’s I Want to Break Free (much to the teacher’s disapproval) just before the school bell rang. 

Then came six glorious weeks off.  Back then the summer seemed to stretch out like years and it was a real challenge to keep ourselves occupied - back then Perth Leisure Pool was still a glint in an architect’s eye. Schemes me and my pals adopted ranged from an aborted attempt to make a go-kart from stuff we found in my dad’s garage, to a contest to see who could go the longest on a pogo stick.  This led to cuts and grazes from piloting the resulting three wheeled go-cart and a limp from pogo-sticking solidly for an hour and forty-five minutes.  You’d be forgiven for thinking I was raised in the “Just William” novel!

Of course nowadays kids don't really get to rake in dumps; parents are more likley to be thinking “now that Pokemon Go’s died a death how am I going to keep the little darlings amused without bankrupting myself in the process?”  

Enter Live Active's Holiday Heroes 2017 to the rescue!

It is universally accepted that physical activity does more than merely keeping boredom at bay.   By fitting in just 60 minutes exercise a day, you can help strengthen your child’s muscles (we’re not talking about turning them into a mini Schwarzenegger here, don't worry!), keep to a healthy weight and combat the stresses that are involved in being a kid or teenager in today’s complicated and high-tech word. (Those Pikachus won't catch themselves.)

Live Active Leisure encourage all children to move more - jumping, running, climbing, swinging, racing, yelling, rolling, hiding, and making a lot of noise is what childhood is all about!

Anything that will then move the major muscle groups - like swimming - or that will get your kids a little out of breath like running or team sports, are particularly beneficial. As well as this, memory and thinking skills are enahnced as well as a stronger immune system. Sporty kids are simply less prone to sniffles, allergies and diseases.

Sports and physical activity can also help to develop a child’s self-esteem and empathy - learning how to lose graciously and to play as part of a team are important lessons. Sports also help to develop a real sense of camaraderie - some of your child’s team mates might end up their pals for life.

However, one of the main benefits of an active kid doesn’t kick in until they don their Fireman Sam PJ’s and head off to bed.   As with adults, children who keep active will enjoy a much better quality of unbroken sleep, which probably means that you will too! 

And right at the top of this list is happiness.  Kids who are having fun, enjoying themselves and building relationships with their friends are happy kids - and with kids come happy parents.  Bring on the summer! 

What's On Then? 

From July 3rd to August 11th the summer 2017 Holiday Heroes programme is back and it is bigger and better than ever before, with activities, sports and adventure for ages five to fifteen taking place all over Perthshire and Kinross. These range from swim & skate camps at Perth Leisure Pool and Dewars Centre, for your mini-Michael Phelps or aspiring little Torville and Deans, to kayaking fun on beautiful Loch Faskgally and rounders sessions at the community campuses. 

There is also a fantastic variety of camps available; the full day (with lunch available) or half day camps at Bell's Sports Centre are always super popular so do make sure you book early.  Or why not go the whole hog with a week -long activity camps in Bell’s Sports Centre? 

The Just for Fun Sessions for kids in primary one to primary seven are two-hour sessions covering a range of activities from snorkelling to football, short tennis to swimming and are held at the North Inch Campus and Perth Leisure Pool. 

We highly recommend you check out the Active Fun Members deal running at the moment. For just £20 for two months, your child will get FREE entry to the Just For Fun sessions and unlimited access to swimming, the sports-hall, ice-skating and MUGA Pitches. 

If your kid is more of an adventure type then so have a look at the Adventure Days running across various outdoor locations. Climbing, mountain biking, raft builidng and more coupled with freedom, adventure, experimentation, risk-taking and just being children all while getting a much-needed boost of vitamin D, is a sure fire way of keeping your wee one happy! .  If you want to get out of the office or off the couch you could even join them on a family adventure day (we're all booked in!).

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