Parents and their children can play games or take exercise together. This not only helps strengthen their relationship,but can also help your children develop their interest in sports,and build up their bodies. Apart from working and doing housework,parents should spend some time to take exercise with their children. Before starting parent-child activities,parents should lead their children to do sufficient warm-up to prevent injury during exercise.

Parents can use simple props to do exercise with children. Examples include "Passing the Ball with the Feet", "Baseball" and "Shuttlecock Kicking".

1. Passing a ball with feet
   Materials/ Equipment
   Sitting or exercise mats and A ball
   
   Methods
   • Balance your body with both hands, hold the ball with your feet only. You lose when the ball or feet hits the floor.
   • Variations:
     Sit in a straight line (passing the ball from back to front or vice versa)
     Sit in a circle or side by side (passing the ball from left to right or vice versa).
   
   Remarks:
   You should select the object for passing based on the ability of the child. (You may consider towel, balloon or basketball, etc.)
   
   
2. Baseball
   Materials/ Equipment
   Paper bats (each made up of 4-5 sheets of rolled-up newspaper)
   Paper balls (squeeze newspaper into a ball, then fix its shape with adhesive tape)
   
   Methods
   • Play batsman and pitcher in turns.
   • Variations:
     Pitch with alternate hands
   
   Remarks:
   The length of the bats should be adjusted according to the height and arm length of the child.
   
   
3. Shuttlecock kicking
   Materials/ Equipment
   A shuttlecock
   
   Methods
   • Keep on kicking the shuttlecock to prevent it from hitting the ground.
   • Variations:
     Play in pairs, in a circle or kick with alternate feet.
   
   Remarks:
   Beginners or young children may pat the shuttlecock with hands. Be cautious, avoid playing in a narrow space.

Other options

Apart from the parent-child activities suggested above, parents may, depending on their physical condition, take part in the following activities with their children:

• Taking a walk, running, swimming and various kinds of land-based or aquatic activities;
• Ball games;
• Cycling and kite-flying outdoors, or strolling along country trails, nature trails, hiking trails, etc.

Hence parent-child activities can be in a great variety, not restricted to any particular forms or contents. Most importantly, parents should take the initiative to join in these activities. When they are enjoying a great time with their children, they can also exercise their muscles and joints, enabling them to keep fit both physically and mentally.

For information on the "Healthy Exercise for All" Campaign, please call Government hotline at 1823.

For more information on health, please call the Department of Health Hotline at 2833 0111 or go to the Department of Health website http://www.cheu.gov.hk/

Acknowledgement: Thanks to the Hong Kong Physiotherapy Association and the Physical Fitness Association of Hong Kong, China for supplying the above information.

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