Wellness Activities for Kids: Promoting Health and Happiness

Chloe, SpringSpot • May 17, 2023 • 5 min read

Kids and adolescents need at least 60 minutes of physical activity every day. But as a parent or caregiver, you know this can be challenging to motivate your kids to be active daily. But it’s worth the effort. Introducing wellness activities for kids has many key benefits in promoting health and happiness, such as:

Physical health: Wellness activities improve cardiorespiratory fitness, build muscles and bones, and reduce the chance of heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and high blood pressure.
Mental health: Wellness activities can develop coping skills, reduce stress and anxiety, and boost your child’s self-esteem.
Social skills: Our wellness activities help your children develop positive relationships with others, build social skills, and have confidence in social situations.
Academic performance: Having your kids regularly participate in wellness activities can boost their academic performance by helping them focus while at school.

We'll list some of our favorite wellness activities for kids to promote happiness and healthy habits:

Physical Wellness Activities

Physical wellness activities are essential for preventing chronic diseases, obesity, and depression in kids. Some of the best physical wellness activities for kids include:

Getting outdoors to play and exercise.
Participating in sports or other recreational activities.
Practicing yoga and stretching to improve mobility and flexibility.
Dancing and doing movement activities that promote coordination and increased heart rate.

At SpringSpot, we have a long list of Kids’ Movement Activities. But here are some of our favorite activities to do with your kids:

Mental Wellness Activities

Learning mental wellness activities is a life skill you will use your whole life. Doing mental wellness activities with your kids will help them develop coping skills and build resilience. These activities also boost self-esteem and improve your child’s overall well-being, leading to a happier and healthier life. Some good wellness activities to make a part of your daily routine can include:

Mindfulness and meditation
Breathing exercises
Journaling and self-reflection
Art and creative expression

Some of our favorite mental wellness activities:

Social Wellness Activities

Social wellness activities for kids are vital because they promote healthy social skills, boost confidence, and reduce social isolation. These activities can teach children empathy, cooperation, and communication skills, which improve mental health. You should look for these types of social wellness activities:

Building meaningful connections
Team-building activities
Community service and volunteering
Cultural and diversity appreciation

These are some of our favorite social activities to play with your family:

Emotional Wellness Activities

Emotional wellness activities for kids are crucial because they promote emotional awareness and help kids regulate their feelings. These activities are great for building self-esteem and reducing stress and anxiety. Your kids will get better at expressing and coping with their emotions in a healthy way and fostering positive relationships.

You should look for emotional wellness activities that promote:

Emotional regulation techniques
Expressing and managing emotions
Practicing empathy and compassion
Building resilience and coping skills

Try these activities:

A woman feeding her child

Nutritional Wellness Activities

Nutritional wellness activities for kids teach healthy eating habits they will use for their whole life. Through these activities, you can teach your kids about the importance of balanced diets, food choices, and portion sizes while keeping it fun so your kids engage as they learn. When picking out nutritional wellness activities, look for activities that teach:

Healthy eating habits
Cooking and meal preparation
Gardening and farm-to-table experiences
Nutrition education

Our favorite nutritional wellness activities include:

Need more ideas for improving your family’s overall wellness? Sign up for one of our wellness membership plans.

family cleaning up the beach

Environmental Wellness Activities

To instill a love for the environment in your kids, you’ll want to incorporate environmental wellness activities into your week regularly. These activities promote awareness of your kids’ impact on their environment and encourage sustainable practices. These activities also help children appreciate and respect nature.

Plus, these activities encourage your kids to get outside. Look for activities that:

Connect with nature
Promote eco-friendly practices
Teach conservation and sustainability
Encourage outdoor adventures and exploration

Check out these fun environmental activities:

Intellectual Wellness Activities

Besides their bodies, you also need to help build your child’s mind. Intellectual wellness activities for kids are a sneaky fun way to promote cognitive development, creativity, and critical thinking skills. These activities can stimulate curiosity and foster a love for lifelong learning.

If you want to boost your child’s academic performance and problem-solving abilities, you should look for activities that encourage:

Reading and storytelling
STEM activities
Problem-solving and critical-thinking games
Brain teasers and puzzles

We love these intellectual activities for kids:

Sleep and Rest

Kids need between 8 to 12 hours of sleep each night to help their bodies grow and develop. But getting your kids to bed at night can be a battle. Establishing healthy sleep routines, creating a conducive sleep environment, and teaching your kids relaxation techniques for better sleep is important.

Here are some of our favorite rest activities to help your kids relax and get into a good bedtime routine:

Technology and Screen Time Management

Teaching your kids technology and screen time management is critical for learning healthy use of digital devices, preventing addiction, and reducing the negative effects on your kids’ mental health. You need to:

Set limits on screen time
Monitor content
Encourage offline activities and physical activities
Encourage productive and educational screen time

You Won’t Regret Making Wellness Activities for Your Kids a Priority

Incorporating various wellness activities into your weekly routine will help your kids learn healthy habits they will keep throughout their lives. It will promote good physical, mental, social, and educational health in a fun way they will enjoy.

SpringSpot is committed to helping you create a positive, happy home where you can teach your kids healthy habits in a fun and meaningful way. Our curated wellness activities are tailored to fit your family's needs, so you can incorporate them easily into your daily routine.

Want to level up your family’s overall wellness? Sign up for one of our wellness membership plans.