Active Kids, Active Parents!

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4. Make birthday parties active

Try a piņata!

Choosing an active party theme has lots of benefits. As well as getting some exercise and burning off some of that endless energy that only kids have, there's no time to get bored which means less chance of them bickering with each other or becoming over excited.

Many places hold organised party activities complete with carers and play leaders. Try roller skating parties, pool parties, laser games, mazes and fun play centres.

If you're holding a party at home or in a park, plan plenty of games, such as egg and spoon races, piñatas, treasure hunts or chasey.

You can also give presents which encourage activity, such as a skipping rope, football or bike.

5. Restrict television and computer time

Monitor the amount of time your children spend in passive activities, such as watching television or playing on the computer. Sure, these types of activities aren't bad for your child, but when they are done for long periods of time and in place of more active activities, they do have an impact on the health of your child.

Studies have found that a huge 97 percent of Australian children aged 5 to 14 watched television or videos during their free time. Other studies show just how bad large amounts of television watching is for their health - with those children in the study who had watched more than two hours of television per day more likely to develop serious health problems as young adults.

Keep television, computers and videos to an enjoyable treat, watch only the shows that are suitable for your children and turn off the television when the show finishes - don't just keep it on all day as background noise or as a babysitter. One hour or less per day of these types of activities is a good goal.

6. Organised sport

When your child is old enough, they might find an organised sport enjoyable. As well as improving their fitness, they'll also make friends, learn about team work, improve their co-ordination and motor skills, and learn about rules and being a "good sport".

Make sure it's a sport they enjoy, and that the focus of the team is on having fun and participation rather than on being highly competitive, especially for younger children. Older kids might enjoy the challenge of a little healthy competition, but keep things in perspective.

There are many types of organised sports, including football, soccer, basketball, netball, hockey, volleyball, athletics, swimming teams, tennis - even dancing (ballet, tap, jazz, ballroom, hip hop and so on) is a form of organised sport. Find something they're interested in.

Watching live sports matches might help to encourage them to participate in a game at their level. You can also follow up the watching of a match with a backyard game of your own.

Don't forget to make safety a priority and ensure your child is well protected with the appropriate helmets, mouth guards, protective pads and so on. Removing jewellery before a game is a good idea too.