In today’s society, finding a
safe way to ensure everyone gets enough exercise can be a tricky task. But
although there are gyms and exercise classes that adults can join up to, other
than their hour of physical education each week, when can kids get any
exercise?
Years ago, trying to get kids to
exercise wasn’t even an issue, as children tend to enjoy running around with
friends, playing tag and football and it is generally more of a trial to try to
get them to sit down! But as society started to be deemed less safe, children
have been allowed out of the house less, meaning computer games and toys which
allow children to sit quietly have become more in fashion. Now it is simply a
fact that kids are fatter today then ever before, and don’t enjoy running and
playing as they used to, and it is a problem that many sectors associated with
children are trying to fix.
The toy industry is no different,
and they have been trying to think up new ways to excite kids about exercise
for years. Ride on scooters and toys give a certain element of exercise, as
they do still need to be worked by the child to get them to move and are at
least more active than playing computer games, but these don’t reach quite the
level of exercise as simply running or playing sports. So what else is there?
One of the best ways toy makers
have enticed children into exercise in recent times is with the advent of
physical computer games. Now kids (as well as adults) can enjoy exercise and
playing computer games simultaneously, and these games do appeal to the family
as a whole so make for exciting bonding time for parents and kids as well. The
Nintendo Wii is a great example of physical computer games, as it has a range
of games as well as sports based games where, using the controller, the player
needs to run, jump, throw and catch, just as they would playing sport, but with
the added advantage of a shiny futuristic display to suit the more tech-savvy
kids.
