Do your children get 60 mins of active time a day? Add your comment and you could win a £100 voucher - NOW CLOSED

[AnnMumsnet]

We've been asked by the team at Seara to find out if (and how) your children (aged 5-18) (and other children you know) are getting the full recommended 60 minutes of physical activity a day?

For guidelines see the NHS Choices site

Please share your thoughts and experiences on this thread. Please also share your tips for what you do to encourage your DC's to be active - or what you do with your DC's to get them active?

Share your tips etc on this thread and you'll be entered into a prize draw where one MNer will win a £100 Love2Shop voucher.

We do recognise that, for various reasons, not all children (or adults) are able to reach the target of 60 minutes of exercise per day - and that 'exercise' can mean different things for different people. If this is the case for your child, do also feel free to share your experiences about how you encourage physical activity in ways that are consistent with their capacities.

thanks and good luck
MNHQ

Also: Seara are running a "Grassroots To Greatness Competition" at the moment: enter your childs' football team into the competition for their chance to win a Seara football sponsorship for next season - worth £3,000! More details here //www.seara.co.uk

[itsnothingoriginal]

My kids are pretty active generally and usually get around an hour's exercise a day. As a family we love country walks on nice days and the kids spend up to an hour in the garden after school on their trampoline (best thing we ever bought!)

DS is 8 and loves swingball, riding his bike, skateboarding and he does Fencing once a week (what boy wouldn't like swordfighting!!)

DD is 6 and has cerebral palsy so needs to stay fit and strong. She loves riding her bike and playing on her swing. She's currently learning to skip and hop and spends hours trying to master this!

[tinypumpkin]

My children are a little younger than the ages mentioned in the first post but I definitely think DD2 (3 1/2) gets her 60 mins a day at least. She is always running around and loves to scoot too. Nursery and just generally jumping about as children this age do does it I think. Park etc also helps too!

[FannyBazaar]

When I'm in charge, most definitely yes, we'd normally cycle or walk at least 2 miles every day. DS (8) will go outside and kick a football or jump on the trampoline or just jump and climb on the furniture. I let him loose at a play ground or park most days when I'm not working. Swimming lessons once a week.

Our exception is winter when DS is at school and After School Club, if it's a tiny bit wet he won't get any outdoor play at either although may get to jump around in the sports hall at club or could just be watching DVDs for hours then I pick him up in the dark and we walk home, then I read about how children are inactive because parents don't make an effort and want to shout 'it's the bloody school!'. We still do the 2 miles of walking in the winter school days though.

[ToomuchIsBackOnBootcamp]

Yes I think Ds (7) gets 60 minutes per day at least.
15 minute walk to school, same back, each school day. (DH uses our only car so we HAVE to walk across village to school, no matter what).
Runs around at playtime/lunchtime.
Often stop at park on way home from school for around 30-45 minutes.
Uses his trampoline in the garden nearly every day (I even was out clearing snow off it in January so he could have a bounce)
Football training is 90 minutes each sat morning and 120 minutes every second Sunday.
30minute swim lesson every week.
Plus general playing out in garden/park with friends after school, sometimes dog walk or cycle with dad on weekends also.

[CairngomRockHunter]

On week days they have at least 60 minutes of play time in a huge field with swings and climbing frames, 10 minutes bike riding to and from school, PE twice a week, swimming once a week, and an hour playing out in the 'wild wood'.
(I don't actually know when they manage to fit any classroom time in )

At the weekend they are generally outside most of the time playing in the garden or we bike ride or go swimming.

Winter weekends are less active. At school in the winter, nothing stops for the weather, so they are still pretty active there.

[SacreBlue]

DS walks to and from school and takes part in after school athletics. He also cycles quite a bit as it gives him some independence of travel, if he wants to meet friends but I'm working, and he works p/t in a physical job.

He doesn't do 60mins every day but then he may do much more another day so it balances out. Aside from school none of it is 'scripted' exercise as I think he would find that turning into a chore when it doesn't need to be.

[lljkk]

NO: 13yoDS: School days walks 40 minutes, 10 minutes of take-down rugby at lunchtime, occasional PE session, 1-2 hours of weekly activity especially sailing/kayaking with scouts. Occasional formal event, still mostly very sedentary outside of school.

YES, probably: DSs age 5 & 8, probably just about achieve 60 minute avg, walking or cycling to school, playtime, PE, our own trampolene, playing out on dirt mounds.

YES: 11yo DD: Sport maniac. In last week alone... gymnastics, canoeing, abseiling, archery, 2x2 hour swim sessions with friends, 1/2 hour hard fitness swim lesson, daily walking min. 30 minutes, netball match (40 minutes), other PE lessons. Probably something else, too.

[Feelingood]

Ds school run 10 x 2 walking
He has playtimes at school = 40 mins
Then he lollopes about a lot in lounge

Then he will do
1 hour of judo most Saturdays
2 hours of tennis and mixed sports games (sun)
2 hours of swimming/ play splash per week

So averages out over one hour

Plus would add

In good weather we swim outdoors more time in park
In bad weather we my swim indoor more or goto soft play
In school hols do tons more walking around town/museums does this count my feet always hurt and they always knackered!

[whattodoo]

Probably, more or less.
To and from school, 15 mins each way.
Runs around like a headless chicken at playtimes.
Ballet once a week, swimming once a week.
Then we're usually mucking around in the garden over the weekend, or a play date which invariably involves rushing around.

[Feelslikea1sttimer]

I have a 13 and a 14 year old boy and we have:

Monday's: both cricket matches
Tuesday's: swimming for both
Wednesday: cricket match ds1 & football training ds2
Thursday: cricket training followed by football training ds1 & rugby ds2
Friday: ds1 goes to scooter park with mates (3 miles away scoots there and back) & ds2 has cricket training

Weekends are taken up with various tournaments, matches etc... All this coupled with regular PE lessons (ds1 is also doing gcse's PE) and school matches, I occasionally wonder if they are doing too much, and would I be a dreadful mum to say I'd like a week off just once, as I go to every match I can and ferry them around which I love but just occasionally I would love a night off...

[beanandspud]

DS is 5 and gets his 'hour a day'. He stays for after school club which invariably is football for nearly an hour on top of breaks and lunchtime where they play football, basketball and other games. Today he has swum for 30mins and been out on his bike for 30mins as well as walking into town.

I can, however, see it getting harder as he gets older unless he gets into sports teams/clubs etc.

[VirtuallyHere]

Getting my son (aged 5) to sit still is the challenge. On a typical school day he is walking a mile to school and then running around the playground/after school club for around two hours before all the other activities such as PE, trampoline at home, etc. Hopefully his energy levels will continue and as he gets older will find some sort of team sport to direct them into.

[Theimpossiblegirl]

I don't think my DDs get it every day tbh, but they do something most days. They are 10 and 12. In the week they leave for school quite early and get home quite late, although they do PE and swimming it is not every day. On the weekend we go for long walks with the dog and they run around a lot.

My youngest is probably more active as she goes to the park and runs about with her friends. She also scooters and roller skates. My eldest is more likely to be sat on the swings chatting.

[Cantdothisagain]

It depends how you define active, I think. My children walk a lot but they don't do that much else apart from at school. Partly because I am tbh a bit lazy but partly because we are all more bookish types - we will walk a lot to get where we want to go, but not for the sake of walking.

I do totally agree that finding the right exercise for your child is what matters. I had two left feet as a child and always hated PE/any exercise, but as an adult I walk an awful lot (though still don't do much else) and am fit and healthy. I would love my children to like sport more than I did, so currently I am letting them dictate the exercise they choose (scooters) and not forcing that which they hate (bikes) or anything else, as I hated being forced.

[beautifulgirls]

My children walk to school 3 days a week, driven 2 days, walk home 5 days a week, each way 15 minutes so 3 days a week they have half an hour walking, 2 days 15 mins walking.

At school they have 20 mins play each day in the morning and around 30 minutes after lunch is eaten, so 50 mins in addition to the above.

On Saturdays 2 out of 3 of them do a dance class for an hour.

Occasional family swims (we were in the local pool for over an hour this morning), and toddler does a half hour swim lesson once a week.

In addition they will play in the garden (trampoline/swings/climbing frame) if the weather is good, and will walk the dog with me sometimes. We also have a park close by and often take the bikes or scooters with us plus running around there.

So yes, on average they have easily an hour of active childhood style exercise each day. I would also add my youngest was not using her buggy on a regular basis from the age of around 2.5yrs for exactly the reason that I wanted her to be fit and active. She has a physical issue with one foot and it is important to me that she uses her legs well to keep her fitness levels good - she does brilliantly.

[aftermay]

They only get what they get at school during the week. DS does extra sport twice a week, so gets some more with that. The DDs don't do other activities after school and afterschool club.

At weekends they each do one hour sport each. Occasionally we walk into town (0.5 mi each way).

Suggestions: make sport part of the school curriculum. There really is very little time otherwise for working parents to exercise with the kids.

[MrsShrek3]

my primary two dc definitely do, and they do sports for much of the weekend, 3 hrs worth both Saturday and Sunday (football, tennis, swimming, dance as teams/lessons, plus cycling and walking). In the week they do plenty running at playtime, school PE three times a week, then sports activities outside school (ds all five nights, dd 4 of them) My high school ds does an hour of PE twice a week in school plus rock climbing, swimming and athletics out of school. Just about an hour worth a day, but he is the least active of my dc. He does long distance running so is probably fitter than the majority of his peers.
I sometimes wonder if the younger two are too busy, but they love it. I want their teens to be spent in teams not gangs

[ChewingOnLifesGristle]

My dc 11 and 14 do. 11 yr old very much so sports etc, 14 yr old used to be more active by choice re sports but not so much now. However she does a lot of walking to and from school which counts I feel.

Probably another thread really, but I do feel aggrieved that PE at secondary school is as awful as it ever was though. If the aim is to switch teens on to the subject, they seem to do all they can to scupper that aim

[Babycarmen]

My DD1 who is 5 never stops, she is always on the go! She just naturally loves being outside I think. She would much rather play outside then inside. We just bought her a trampoline for the garden which is great for kids to keep fit! She almost always has healthy snacks and we make sure she gets a good amount of sleep so she always has plenty of energy.

After school or weekend clubs are great for introducing exercise. DD does gymnastics on a Thursday afternoon and swimming lessons on a Saturday morning.

[girliefriend]

My dd is 7yo and I would say most days she gets at least 60mins of physical activity, some days much more some days not so much!

Yesterday being a typical example of a Saturday, stayed in in the morning, went out after lunch to a fete - lots of running around with friends, then went back to a friends house and spent 2 hours running around the park!

Always try and get out every day even in bad weather, only times we don't do much is if dd is unwell. At school I'm assuming she does a fair amount of activity, P.E, swimming, playtimes etc.

[4LittleBubbles]

DD 12 does (per week)
4x 1.5hr swimming,
1x 1hr Tennis
2x 45min football
8x 20min walking (to/from school)
1x 1 hr athletics
2x 1hr general running around/cycling, etc. at weekends.
3x 45min school PE which she says is actually quite good.
(all through choice!)
Which I think=985 mins or 16.something hours.
ds1 does nearly as much but running and swimming instead of swimming and tennis, iyswim.
ds2 gets about an hour a day/more at weekends. The one time living 15 mins from school helps! Not as keen as siblings.
ds3 is more sporty than ds2 so gets more too, and does about 1.5 daily.

[swallowedAfly]

i'd guess at more like 5hrs on a weekday and more on a weekend.

ds is out in the garden running round with the dogs, jumping on trampoline and playing football before he goes to school, then walks to school, plays manic run around games with his friends through playtimes, walks home from school and repeats garden stuff again and possibly also plays out with his friends on bikes, scooters etc.

we walk everywhere. he's able to watch as much tv or play on ds, wii, pad etc as much as he likes purely because he's not a couch potato type and does do plenty and keep active. if he was more slug like i guess i'd have to control that side of things and work to keep him active but he just naturally is and i think also always having walked everywhere right from little has encouraged stamina and energy that i sometimes see lacking in kids who are driven around.

he also obviously does PE at school, a kids zumba thing after school one day a week and goes to football practice on sunday mornings for an hour. we tend to go for long dog walks through the fields which he loves on weekends too.

[swallowedAfly]

just to add i really think kids need to be active and out in the world to develop. we went overseas for the winter of his 2nd to 3rd year because i couldn't bear the idea of us being shut in four walls watching cbeebies when he was at such an important age for running and playing and just 'being' in the outside world. was lovely.

[QueenBey]

My boys do I think, adding up all their playtimes at school where they run around like manics, karate, trips out after school and at weekends.

My 3 year old never sits still, he often jumps up and down on the spot!

They all enjoy dancing, running and having a wrestle...I'm sure this all adds up to more than 60 minutes a day

[MrsBazinga]

Yes, most days, but not every single day.

School is very good at active stuff. So they do PE twice a week, plus sports after school clubs two times a week for an hour (basketball, football, athletics, hockey etc changes over the year), and I know that play times and lunchtimes are v active, particularly for ds (9) who seems to spend them all running around playing it like a loon. They also have loads of sports equipment out at play times that they use. Then there's some 'playing out' time every day at home as well, though this is dependent on the weather, so trampoline, scooters, bikes (cul de sac, very safe).

Weekends - Saturday swimming lesson for an hour, then for the rest of the time it depends what we're up to. Some weekends, that'll be it, apart from playing out, but we'll often go for a longish walk/cycle at some point, and in the summer will swim in the sea most weekends.

So overall not bad. As for me.... That's more of a work in progress....