According to reports by Sport Australia, only 19% of Aussie kids are meeting the recommended guideline of 1 hour of physical activity per day.
If you are wondering Why Obstacle courses are rising in popularity for school aged kids, well it's fun. Considering that 2 in 3 Australians over the age of 18 are overweight or obese, it’s important that we help our kids develop good habits from a young age.
But not every kid wants to go for a run or participate in a team sport. Especially if they’re still building their confidence to perform in these types of environments.
This is where indoor obstacle courses come in. Here’s why they’re so beneficial for kids:
Obstacle courses level the playing field
The good thing about an indoor obstacle course is that there are so many obstacles to conquer and it’s rare for someone, especially someone who is new to it or hasn’t been practising to be amazing at every obstacle. The result? It levels the playing field and encourages laughter, perseverance and fun among kids. Additionally, your kid will generally only be challenging themselves which makes it less intimidating for them to try again and have a go.
Whether your kid is already confident, or needs to build up their confidence, an obstacle course like Ninja Parc will certainly help them understand how their body moves. They’ll also learn to keep trying and how to build coordination.
Obstacle courses teach kids how to move their bodies in various ways
Obstacle courses require your body to move in so many ways, making it a great activity to help your kids build coordination as well as the mind to muscle connection. Having them practise different moves and ways of doing things is so good for helping them build confidence. It’s also great for helping them build coordination for other activities they may want to participate in such as athletics, school sport, tiggy, handball, you name it. The sooner your kids start working on these skills the better.
Channel your inner Ninja Warrior
If getting your kids away from the TV screen is a challenge, perhaps letting them channel their favourite shows may motivate them.
Ninja Warrior is one of those shows that just exploded on TV screens around the world, so letting your kids channel their favourite characters at the Ninja Parc indoor obstacle course is a great way to encourage them to be active. Additionally, they see their favourite contenders fail on obstacles, only to then see them get back up again in the hopes that they’ll make it to the next round and get a chance to try again. It’s a good life lesson!
Have fun
Like going to the ice skating or roller rink was fun for us as kids, places like Ninja Parc are fun for adults and kids alike. It’s a place where you can challenge yourself, but there are also no expectations so you can take the stress away from it. It’s also well-padded for better safety and a reduced chance of injury.
Too many people see being active as stressful and as a chore. That should not be the case. Being active can be like playtime. It can be fun. It doesn’t have to have a stigma attached to it. That is a benefit of doing an indoor obstacle course, like on a playground you can play for as long or as little as you like. Just enjoy yourself
Associate it with fun, such as your birthday or school sport
Ninja Parc also hosts birthday parties and school holiday programs so it is a big win for parents as Ninja Parc will take care of everything for you.
The birthday parties include food and ninja headbands for the kids while the school holidays programs run on weekdays over the holidays and they are fully supervised for 3 hours, giving parents 3 hours of free time to do as they please.