According to the CDC child obesity rates have more than doubled over the last thirty years. For adolescents those numbers have quadrupled! It’s so easy for kids to come home from school and either plop themselves in front of the TV or sit down to do homework for hours. They fall into a sedentary rut with this routine and are setting themselves up to become a statistic.

We saw the same trends in our children, which is why when we started developing the theories that would eventually become Fidgets2Widgets, we knew that exercise would have to be a key part of the equation.

At Fidgets2Widgets, we promote physical exercise as much as we do healthy screen time. There’s no denying that staring at a screen for hours at a time can put a strain on the eyes and cramp up a body. Our solution to this problem is exer-breaks!

Exer-breaks are exactly what they sound like—exercise breaks. They break up the screen time that’s sedentary with physical activity, whether that be a simple series of stretches, a dance party, interactive console games, or vigorous sessions on our Jungle Jumparoo or exercise bike.

We also have a Fitbit incentive program in which children can enroll. Record the number of steps your child takes every day and they can earn physical items, game subscriptions, and special privileges.

We subscribe to the Healthy Eating and Physical Activity Standards (HEPA) which encourage thirty minutes of physical activity for half-day afterschool programs, and an hour for full-day. In addition to providing healthy snacks for Widgetarians, we ensure that their afterschool experience is balanced and fuels their innate curiosity.