Water activities for children...
and their parents

Learn why water activities for children are so beneficial to their health and development.

As shown in the child-development page, an important issue in child development is maintaining a normal weight by developing healthy habits - One way is to encourage their participation in physical activities.

Health Benefits of Water Activities for Children

Water sport, exercise or just playing in water can be very effective for children, because:

• They are highly challenging and fun,
• The water resistance helps burn fat and tone muscle with less effort,
• Children benefit from sun and the fresh air developed by the water evaporation.

Playing in water can improve your child's long-term mental and physical health in many ways:

• Water activities can correct and prevent childhood obesity
• Sport increases self-esteem in youth and reduces anxiety and stress
• Children involved in physical challenging activities have higher grades and better behaviors

Children water exercise can begin during infancy with back lying in 2 to 3 inches of warm water to promote independent kicking. Over time, the child can progress to independent activity in the water, first in a swim vest or other support, then swimming without support. - Source: niams.nih.gov

Children need fresh air

"Unlike adults, a child's organs - including the brain, lungs and reproductive system - are in a constant state of development and do not reach full maturation until well past puberty. Due to their bodies' immaturity, kid's bodies are much less capable of defending themselves from airborne and toxic pollutants that can penetrate deep into their respiratory tract and other vital organs." Tells coalitionforcleanair.org

When water is sprayed, waves of positive ions are released, purifying the air around us, killing bacteria, and increasing our energy level, especially in the presence of the sun. Let children play outside as much as possible to benefit from the proximity of water and sun.

"Negative Air Ionization Improves Memory and Attention in Learning-Disabled and Mentally Retarded Children." - tells and article published in 1984. The researchers show the results of tests on the effectiveness of negative ions on on both: mentally handicapped children, as well as the abilities of normal children. It was found that negative ions have the power to improve the cognitive abilities and mental performances.

* Children love playing with spraying water and sprinklers are really easy to install in any backyard - it's the less expensive, natural, funny way to provide them with negative ions.

Water Activities for Children - Water games

Water activities for children are not exclusive - their parents can benefit from this as well.

As children play, they are strengthening motor skills, developing social skills, and discovering all that their immediate environment has to offer. Playtime can be purposeful, but it should still be fun for parent and child.

Water sports and water games are great for family fun and health. Using inflatable "water toys", or practicing some kind of water sports like water skiing or boating, make water leisure a health tool for kids and parents. These will also encourage the child to take a step away from the edge and start swimming without fear.

This best-seller books covering a vast variety of possibilities to have fun in the water may interest you. The trilogy of books in the "Aquafun" series teaches how playing and taking part in sport in the water activities can be made creatively and still remain fun. You will find many game suggestions, which could give ideas for further exercises or which can be used directly in the exercise sessions:

Aquafun: First Steps by Uwe Rheker

Playing and Training Creatively (Aquafun) by Uwe Rheker

Aqua Fun: Games And Fun For The Advanced by Uwe Rheker

Seashores offer a great environment for kids health and development:

Outdoors water activities are an excellent form of aerobics with many benefits to respiratory system, increasing muscle tonus, building and maintaining the vitamin D and calcium in bones.

Beaches, lakes, and even pools can offer great opportunities for swimming and water activities for children.

Swimming and playing on the beach is always related to sun exposure, which is also very beneficial for a child development's body (bones, muscles, brain, respiratory system, etc), not to mention the salt, iodine and all the other minerals contained in the seawater.

Medicine had finally just come to recognize the primary importance of sunlight in preventing the scourge of rickets and its essential role in synthesizing vitamin D in the body. Perhaps it is time the profession now listened to a world authority on the subject and revised its almost paranoia about sunshine and ultraviolet radiation - The National Academy of Sciences.

Seashores are great environment for the child health, as well as for parents, due to the seawater, sun and healthy air.

The seawater concentration at beach resorts gives the body more buoyancy, making water activities even more enjoyable, while swimming has a lot of health benefits on kids mental and physical development.

Experience the Caribbean's most exciting water parks at Beaches Resorts!