For one, these activities will help build coordination and strength as well as help foster a lifetime love of fitness. Second, the gift is an experience and not a material good. Arguably, experience is often the greatest gift we can give to our children, often holding more lasting value than just another toy or consumer good. In fact, it is just this kind of parental encouragement or “belief” that can be a much more powerful influence on our children’s level of activity than even role modeling.

In a study done by SpencerHall in 2003, mothers of children whose activity levels ranged from low to high were interviewed in order to better understand the relationship between the mothers’ attitudes toward physical activity and the activity level of their children. (After the jump, study results and four ways to encourage your child’s healthy activity level).

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