Currently, the majority of children enter the world of television and computer technology long before they actually go to school. As per a recent survey, as much as two-thirds of all infants and toddlers watch TV or videos on average of two hours each day. Children four to seven years of age, spend thirty-two hours a week in front of a TV, watching television, DVD’s, DVR, videos or using a game console. Finally, kids between the ages of eight and 18 spend as much as four hours daily watching TV, and two-plus hours in front of a computer screen. It has been found that excessive TV viewing can contribute to poor grades, behavior problems, sleep deprivation and obesity. Medical experts confirm that spending extended hours watching TV is not only detrimental to the mental health of kids, but also to their physical heath and development.

There are numerous indoor and outdoor games that can help kids spend the maximum amount of their time playing in a healthy manner. Indoor activities should involve mental stimulation as well as social interactions by way of age appropriate games, such as, playing cards, dominoes, or memory tasking, also, include board games such as checkers, scrabble and monopoly. Outdoor games and activities can be as trouble free as riding a bicycle, walking the dog, hopscotch or throwing a Frisbee. More organized team sports such as kickball, basketball, touch football, street hockey and soccer are great ways to teach children the importance of teamwork and sportsmanship. Most important is keeping children active whether indoors or out, but not in front of the TV or computer.

The long, hot summer months often leads to a substantial amount of unnecessary time spent indoors. It’s time to change that cycle! Get outside and play with your children, or sign them up for a physically active summer day camp. By engaging children in a summer camp atmosphere, studies have found enormous benefits not only socially but physically as well. Kids will learn a variety of new skills, increasing social interaction, respect for authority figures, time management, better self awareness and how to remain engaged in tasks while having fun all day long! Check the local papers in Hillsborough and Pinellas county for summer day camps or other ways to keep your kids active while out of school this summer. Limit their time in front of a TV or computer, and get out and play for your child’s benefit as well as your own.

Sports Fun Enrichment Programs meet the needs of children and young adults in Hillsborough and Pinellas counties near the Tampa Fl area. Kids have discovered summer camps as a low cost and effective way kids can have fun and exercise. The Sports Fun Enrichment Program is designed to introduce children to a variety of kids sports in a safe, structured environment. As an added bonus, children involved in this extracurricular program show an improvement in self-confidence through our team building and game playing activities, as well as through personal accomplishments and physical fitness