[originally posted in PersonalDevelopmentMaster]

Computers and other gadgets have become pivotal in the lives of most people under 50. Technology is infused into the everyday lives of your children in ways most of us never imagined. Whatever happened to playing outside?

Most technology involves a lot of sitting still, which doesn’t use our children’s natural abundance of energy. However, if you’ve ever tried to get your kids to unplug from these devices, you know what a chore that can be!

You’ve most likely set limits on how long your kids can fiddle with their gadgets. However, they’ll probably need help finding things to do when they’re not allowed to plug in. Why not play outside as a family?

Take advantage of these benefits of old-fashioned fun outdoors

1. Demonstrate the importance of outdoor activities. If your kids see you take the time to stop what you’re doing inside and go outside to do something completely different, they’ll assume it must be the thing to do. Play outdoors consistently with them from an early age, and they’ll adopt your active lifestyle.

2. Offer quality time. Spending time outside with your kids provides wonderful opportunities to see what they like to do. You can also offer them activities from your own life. Teach them how to play freeze tag and all those other “old-fashioned” games you used to play outdoors.

3. Get physical. When outside, most people are moving around physically. Riding bikes, going for a jog, walking, throwing around the football, or playing kick ball are healthy outdoor activities. You’ll get a good workout and so will your kids.

4. Develop your children’s coordination. Whether you’re tossing a ball, walking around the block, or riding bikes, your child’s dexterity and coordination will grow when you regularly play outdoors together.

5. Grow their passions. Being consistently active outdoors with your kids introduces them to various activities. They just may find some that bring joy and fascination to their lives.

* There’s no reason this has to mean sports or competitive games if your kids aren’t into those. You may have a budding naturopath on your hands, or a marine biologist. But if you didn’t go outside together as a family, you’d never know, and neither would they

6. Unwind. There’s no better way to teach your children how to discharge stress than to go outside and connect with nature every day. You’ll feel better, calmer and more relaxed, and so will your kids.

7. Make memories and traditions. Being outside together is a family activity you can practice all your lives. Whether your kids are 5, 15 or 25 years old, if they grew up playing outdoors with you, you’ve got an easy family tradition you can do anywhere.

Although letting your kids play endlessly with their computers or video games may seem easier than a battle of the wills, physical activity is still crucial, especially for growing bodies. Make an effort to squeeze outdoor time into the schedule, even for 30 minutes a day. You’ll feel better, connect more, and discover all kinds of wonderful things about yourselves and each other!

For more information regarding getting your kids excited, The healthy eating for kids website has tons of fun recipes that will turn mealtime into funtime!

We’re all extremely busy these days, so the last thing we need is to get complicated at lunchtime.

But, what should your child’s lunch contain?

Here are some guidelines:

• Source of protein to help them stay alert
• Fruit and vegetables for vitamins, minerals and fiber
• Complex carbohydrates for slow-release energy and fiber
• Calcium for growth, healthy bones and teeth

If you’re stuck for kids lunch ideas, here are 5 simple suggestions:

1. Vary their breads
Most kids love of bit of variety and surprise, so rather than sticking with the same bread day in, day out, choose from a range of sliced bread, bread rolls, pita pockets, wraps, bagels, crackers and breadsticks.

Encourage your children to eat wholegrains, to make sure they’re having plenty of fiber, vitamins, and antioxidants.

If your kids are young, try cutting sandwiches into different shapes using a cookie cutter, or roll them up and slice to make pinwheels. It’s amazing how a boring sandwich gets gobbled up when in the shape of something interesting!

2. Ditch the processed meats
Instead of using processed meats every day, which are unhealthy and a bit dull, use leftover meat from the night before, such as roast chicken, or beef. Alternatively, you could go for fish or boiled eggs, if your kids will eat them.

You could also think about preparing a range of shredded vegetables, with meat, a little sauce, and wraps or pita pockets, which your children can make up themselves. Obviously this depends on your child, some kids will love this idea, others won’t eat if it takes a lot of effort–playtime is much more important!

3. Be creative with salads
Cook a batch of potato or pasta salad with lots of chopped up vegetables, some lean sliced chicken, turkey or ham, and store in the fridge for a quick and easy lunch throughout the week. Then all you need is a green salad, and lunch is ready in a flash.

4. Get your kids involved
At the weekend why not take a few hours in the kitchen with your children and have a go at making healthy versions of your favorite cookies and muffins? This is a great way to get kids interested in what they’re eating, and also to teach them about healthy food choices. Whatever you make will be perfect the following week as a lunchtime treat.

5. Cut the sugary drinks
We should all be cutting back on the sugar-laden beverages, and our kids are no different. Water, milk, or calcium fortified soy milk are the best beverage choices for children.

If your children are resistent to trying new foods, why not ask them when they would like to have at lunchtime? I’m sure you’ll get a range of interesting answers!

Source: Diet Blog