Spring
is here and it’s a great time for families with children to spend time
outdoors and together. The Episcopal Center for Children (ECC), a
nonprofit organization providing mental health and special education
services to children ages 5-14 in the greater Washington, DC area,
offers tips to help families.
Being active as a family can benefit everyone. Adults need at least
two and a half hours a week of physical activity, and children need 60
minutes a day.
“Several studies have shown that being outside and staying active
improves health and well-being for adults and children,” said Dodd
White, president and CEO of ECC. “For families supporting children with
unique needs, doing activities together outside can promote positive
behavior, relieve stress, improve focus, and help everyone in the family
be mentally and physically healthier.”
Tip #1 –Set specific activity times for your family. Find
time slots throughout the week when your whole family is available.
Devote a few of these times to physical activities together outside. Try
doing something active after dinner or begin the weekend with a
Saturday morning walk.
Tip #2 – Get outside and get moving. Take your dog
for a walk. Play “I spy” while walking somewhere. Play in the park or go
to the community center. Play tag, hopscotch, or jump rope.
Tip #3 – Cope with any anxieties. If a child is
anxious about going outside, bring along a favorite snack and anything
familiar and comforting that can help extend “safe” feelings into the
outdoors. Take a Teddy Bear Hike where each child brings a favorite
stuffed animal along for the adventure.
Tip #4 – Use technology as a supportive tool. Technology can help
children coping with special needs transition from indoors to outdoors
and help them explore nature. For example, encourage them to use a
digital recorder (or your cell phone) to record bird songs, a babbling
stream and other pleasing sounds in your yard, the park, or along a
trail. When you are back indoors, your child can use these recordings to
calm themselves and reduce anxieties.
Tip #5 – Use tech gear to focus. Smartphones,
digital cameras and binoculars are a great filter for children with
Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder or autistic spectrum disorders.
These items can help them focus on a single feature being observed and
remove the extraneous visual stimulation around them.
Tip #6 – Start small. Begin by introducing one new
family activity and then add more when you feel everyone is ready. Take
the dog for a longer walk, play another ball game, or go to an
additional exercise class.
Tip #7 – Use school activities as a jumping board for family activities. Talk
about what your children learned at school in gym or physical education
class. Ask them to show you what they learned. Help them practice.
Tip #8 – Build new skills. Try yoga, mindfulness
practices or dance as a family. There are free resources on the internet
and special classes in some communities designed for families and for
individuals coping with special needs. Enroll your children in classes
they might enjoy such as gymnastics or other sports. Encourage them to
practice and go to their activities as a family.
Tip #9 – Plan ahead. Write your activity plans on a
family calendar. Let your children help plan the activities. Allow them
to check it off after the activity is completed.
Tip #10– Plan for all weather conditions. Have some
ideas for indoor activities on standby in case the weather does not
cooperate. Try mall walking, indoor basketball, or active video games or
board games.
“Once you start getting outside regularly with your child, you will
begin to see the results. Symptoms of anxiety, depression and acting out
can lessen,” said White. “Self-esteem, focus and participation in
social settings may improve too. And hopefully, you’ll be feeling better
too.”
About the Episcopal Center for Children
The Episcopal Center for Children (Center) is a nonprofit,
nondenominational school and treatment program for children contending
with emotional challenges from the greater Washington, D.C. metropolitan
area. Accredited by the Joint Commission, the Center serves children
who are 5-14 years old in grades K-8. The goal of the Center’s
treatment, therapeutic milieu, and individualized special education
program is to empower each child to function productively within his or
her family and community. Building on strengths within children, the
Center partners with families in treatment and focuses on enabling its
students to access and become their best possible selves. More
information is available at eccofdc.org and on Twitter and Facebook @ECCofDC.
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