Build the Body Brain with Robust Play

Adaptive Indoor Physical Activities for Young Children are Fantastic Fun!

Toolbox Parenting, tips for tough kids… provides hundreds of helpful ways to develop your children’s mental and physical well-being. Jodee Kulp and her team offer sensory-motor developmental activities for kids indoors.

Rather than sitting in front of the TV or computer, actively playing creates new body and brain cell connections needed to live and learn vibrantly. Want your children to be robust… vigorous, full-bodied play is key.

TV Viewing and Cognitive Development

TV Viewing Before the Age of 2 Has No Cognitive Benefit

Newwise.com reported the first longitudinal study of its kind measuring the effect of TV viewing on young children’s language and visual motor skills. According to Michael Rich, MD, MPH a pediatrician who directs the Center on Media and Child Health and contributing author on this study, TV viewing before the age of 2 does not improve a child's language and visual motor skills. The study suggests that maternal, child and household characteristics are more influential to a child's brain development.

Dr Rich adds, “TV exposure in infants has been associated with increased risk of obesity, attention problems, and decreased sleep quality. Parents need to understand that infants and toddlers do not learn or benefit in any way from viewing TV at an early age."

More Screen Time Means Lower Fitness

Small-screen recreation and fitness in youth is researched

http://www.newswise.com:80/articles/view/547102/?sc=dwhn NewWise reports research studying how TV, videogames, e-mail, text messaging and net surfing affects aerobic endurance in adolescents. Seems like two hours or more screen time is the cut point above which younger kids are significantly less likely to be fit. Older boys were less affected, no matter how long they spent on screen recreation. Research was conducted by Louise Hardy, Ph.D., University of Sydney, and was reported in the Am J Prev Med 36(2), 2009.