It’s not uncommon for kids with vitiligo to avoid playing outdoors. As long as they are stared at and made unkind remarks about, they feel embarrassed and blame themselves for looking a certain way. This, in turn, can hamper their muscle strength, coordination skills and self-confidence.
This is where your parenting skills will come to your rescue. With proper planning and careful selection of activities, you can let your kid getting dirty, and having exhilarating time outdoors. After wondering dos and don’ts of parenting a child with vitiligo, we have shortlisted 5 outdoor activities your kid will love and will make him/her smarter at the same time.
1) Jumping for the ball
A game of basketball. Your little boy is never too small for a game of basketball. Get an adjustable basketball stand and put it up in any corner of the house. Your kid reaching out for the basket will help him do stretching exercises. Indulge in some mock scores to keep his confidence going.
2) Pretend play with tools
Get some ‘real’ looking toy tools to invoke a sense of responsibility. Let your kid play in the dirt as he/she pots a plant. As your kid gets busy with gardening tools, it will instill a sense of responsibility and some early botany lessons.
3) Treasure hunt
Hide stuff in corners and other places and challenge your kid to a game of treasure hunt. Problem-solving would never have been so much fun. As the kid skitters around for answers, it will be good exercise and a whole lot of team building.
4) Explore with the swings
A little bit of glee and shouting! Watch as your kid with other children slide and swing with so much happiness. If you’re blessed with some space in your house, then it would be a good idea to put up a little kiddies slide or see-saw. What better than some swinging fun inside the house!
5) Running games
It’s the oldest and the best way to involve your kid outdoors. Ask him/her to make teams and introduce a few running games. As all kids strategize and play along, watch out for any remark made against vitiligo.
Running with other kids will make your child feel included and make him/her learn how winning and losing is a part of life.