MARCH BREAK FUN – Healthy Body = Healthy Mind

With March Break taking place March 11 to 15, 2024, some parents have reached out to ask about keeping their children active over the break.

While it is true that children need breaks from school (recess, lunch breaks, 10-minute stretch breaks throughout the day, etc.) there are many advantages of keeping your kids active over the March Break to help support their physical, mental, and social development.

The unfortunate reality is that many kids spend holidays watching TV or playing video games.

While downtime is important, the Canadian Paediatric Society recommends that children younger than two not be exposed to screens at all. Children between the ages of two and five should spend no more than one hour per day on screens, and the recommendation for kids five and up is less than two hours of screen time per day. They go on to recommend that parents keep their kids from any type of screen for at least one hour before bed.

Staying active sets a great example for your children to live an active and healthy lifestyle, and provides an excellent opportunity for families to spend quality time together.

We’ve all heard it before: Healthy body = healthy mind, and vice-versa. When kids are active, they are building strong muscles and bones, maintaining a healthy body weight, and nurturing a healthy sense of self-esteem.

Studies have also shown that physical activity is associated with optimal brain development. Children who are regularly active have higher IQs, better memory, are more coordinated, do better in school, are more social, and have better focus and concentration than kids who are less physically active. The goal is for children to get at least 60 minutes of exercise per day.

Sometimes, kids — especially younger children — lack the vocabulary or cognitive development needed to cope effectively with their problems. Many children, therefore, express their emotions physically.

Staying active, in general, gives kids an opportunity to burn off stress from their systems.

Just sitting around and watching TV or playing video games may sound like a good break, but these activities may not give children the outlet they need to offload their stress, meaning they could potentially return to school, after the break, just as anxious or depressed and without feeling relaxed or refreshed.

The important relationship between mental health and being outdoors and connecting with nature is well understood.

Living in a cooler climate, where it becomes dark early in the winter time, we are sometimes locked indoors for months at a time. The cabin fever can really take a toll on our mental health!

Fortunately, with the weather improving, and the days getting longer, we can finally get outside for some much-needed fresh air after our annual hibernation.

Engaging in active play and sports during the break provides opportunities for children to socialize, make new friends, and have fun in a safe environment. Physical activities help kids explore new interests and develop new hobbies.

Children have so much energy and keeping them active provides them with a constructive way to channel their energy. Physical activity can also help with boredom, and help to avoid household fights between restless siblings.

Activities can involve exploring your own backyard, or a local park or recreational centre. Walking pets, going for bike rides, organized sports, family skates or taking a dip in a community pool are all excellent ways to stay active.

For those days when the weather is not cooperating, playing some good, old fashioned board games with your kids is a great idea.

In addition to fostering healthy family interactions, board games can help kids to learn to take turns, follow rules, how to strategize and plan, the virtue of patience, and perhaps even some academic skills like reading, counting, and arithmetic.

Other indoor activities such as cooking together as a family, doing arts and crafts, making a family poster, and singing to the radio can help you to learn about your kids, laugh as a family, and build healthy family connections.

Keep in mind that staying active should not be reserved only for March Break, the benefits of staying active apply to kids all year round.

Dr. Chris Carreira, Ph.D., C. Psych. is a clinical psychologist who works with children, adolescents, adults, couples, and families. His office is located at 3063 Walker Road in Windsor, He can be reached via his website: DrChrisCarreira.com or by emailing: [email protected].