Children urged to power off their screens more often
Healthy child movement isn’t just about physical activity, it’s about everything in between, too.
Ian Janssen, a professor in Queen’s University’s department of public health sciences, spoke about children’s movement in relation to health at two workshops Wednesday.
The Powering Off Screens for Kids’ Health sessions focused on the importance of reducing screen time, increasing physical activity, building a balanced day and the impact of excessive screen time on self-regulation in kids.
The Healthy Kids Community Challenge, in partnership with Peterborough Regional Health Centre, hosted the events at the Peterborough Golf and Country Club.
The challenge is a provincially led initiative meant to support the well-being of children.
It’s fourth and final theme is Power Off and Play. That means spending less time on screens (tablets, computers, smartphones, televisions) and more time socializing, playing and being active.
When most people think about children’s movement, they generally think of time spent in sports or phys ed, Janssen said.
But that makes up only about 3 per cent of their day, even in very active kids.
“We need to think about movement across the entire 24 hours,” Janssen said.
That includes time spent sitting, engaged in activity, and time spent sleeping.
The professor likened the healthy combination of movement to the ingredients in a Cosmopolitan cocktail. It’s the mixture of all the ingredients that make a tasty drink, he said.
“Similarly, with movement, it’s a combination of sleep, physical activity, at higher and lower intensities, and sedentary behaviour that makes for a healthy day,” he said.
Monique Beneteau, a health promoter at Peterborough Public
Health, also spoke at the events.
She talked about healthy outdoor play spaces for kids and the importance of unstructured play (child led, with no adult direction), and risky play.
Unstructured play, especially in natural environments, lets kids use their imaginations and create their own play experiences.
Giving kids a chance to really explore nature also means a reduction in screen time, she said.
“Research shows that people who are exposed to nature are much healthier physically and mentally,” Beneteau said.
While many people gasp at the phrase risky play, Beneteau said it’s an essential part of child development.
That could include heights, speed and rough and tumble play, for example.
“If you don’t learn, or test your limits in a controlled play environment, as you get older, you’re not going to know how to assess risks,” she said.
Recognizing there can often be a need for screen time during the day, Beneteau highlighted the value in putting down devices and getting outdoors.
“There are times where we really need to go outside and be part of the world around us for all kinds of development needs,” she said.