Healthy Habits Challenge: Encouraging Kids to Get Active this Season

By Laurie Thompson

At TARGet Kids!, we’re always looking for ways to inspire healthier habits in children and families. When one of our own Research Assistants, Laurie Thompson, suggested we take part in the Healthy Habits Challenge, we were instantly on board. This challenge offers a fun, interactive way to get kids outdoors, active, and engaged in making healthier choices. It aligns perfectly with our mission to promote pediatric health and create lasting wellness habits. In this blog post, we’ll share how our team is participating in the challenge and how you can join us in making healthier habits a part of everyday life. 

As the crisp fall air rolls in with a promise of winter days on its heels, it’s the perfect time to get moving and embrace the season’s beauty through outdoor activities. The cooler months can sometimes make it harder for kids to stay active, but with the right motivation and a bit of creativity, families can stay engaged in fun and healthy habits. One great way to encourage physical activity while fostering family connection is through the Healthy Habits Challenge—a seasonal-themed initiative that promotes movement, nutrition, and overall well-being (and can also carry you through snowy days). 

  

TARGet Kids! is excited to invite children and families to take part in the Healthy Habits Challenge! This challenge is a fun and engaging way to get active, make healthier choices, and create positive habits that last. It’s a wonderful opportunity for families, communities, and schools to come together in support of physical activity and overall well-being. 

 

The Healthy Habits Challenge aligns closely with TARGet Kids! key research priorities. By encouraging physical activity and healthier lifestyle choices, it supports our efforts to increase physical activity in children and prevent obesity. Additionally, it offers a platform for promoting mental health, behaviour management strategies and healthy nutrition, addressing the broader scope of how lifestyle factors, including screen time, affect children’s well-being and development. Through initiatives like this, we move closer to our overall goal, improving the health of all Canadian children. 

 

Come be part of the movement with TARGet Kids! 

  

The Healthy Habits Challenge: Ideas to Get Kids Moving 

  

Here are some fun, engaging, and seasonal activities you can do as part of the Healthy Habits Challenge that encourage physical activity for kids and families alike: 

 

1. Daily Nature Walks: Take your kids and families on daily walks or hikes to explore local parks, trails, or even your own neighborhood. Challenge kids to spot certain fall and winter-themed items—like a red leaf, a squirrel gathering food, or a wreath—and celebrate them for each “find.” Walking together as a family is a great way to stay active while bonding. 

 

2. Scavenger Hunts: Organize a seasonal-themed scavenger hunt that encourages kids to move around and explore. You can create lists with items like “Find a yellow leaf,” “Hop on one foot for 10 seconds,” or “catch a snowflake.” It’s a fun way to incorporate movement into the hunt while engaging kids in a playful and educational activity.  

 

3. Outdoor Obstacle Courses: Set up an obstacle course in the backyard or at a park using everyday items like cones, jump ropes, and hula hoops. Kids can race through the course, jump, crawl, and hop their way to the finish line. You can even time them to see how fast they can go, creating a fun challenge. 

 

4. Healthy Snack Creations: Encouraging your children and families to create healthy, fall and winter-inspired snacks. Kids can help prepare apple slices with their choice of nut or nut-free butter, pumpkin smoothies, enjoy cranberries, pomegranates and other fruits in season, or roasted squash with cinnamon. A fun way to engage them in nutrition while promoting healthy eating habits. 

 

5. Yoga or Stretching Routines: Introduce kids to the benefits of yoga and stretching by creating a simple fall-themed yoga routine. Use fun animal poses (like “downward dog” or “cat-cow”) to keep kids engaged, or incorporate nature-based themes like “tree pose” to tie into the season. 

 

Join the Challenge! Show us how you and your family are engaging in healthy habits this winter by taking pictures and videos of your activities, tagging @TARGetKids on social media, and using the hashtags #HealthyHabitsChallenge2024 & #FallIntoFitnessTK.