With health organisations around the globe warning of the looming surge of childhood obesity there has never been a more important time to motivate your children to live wholesome, happy and energetic lives. Prior to the arrival of specific kid's television stations, games consoles and the internet kids would naturally want to play outside with friends playing a wide range of energetic group activities. Unfortunately these days motivating a child to play outside is be a real struggle and one that is sometimes left too late. By encouraging a child to play outside from a young age they will rapidly appreciate the amount of fun they can have and develop good habits they can carry through childhood. With the closure of the majority council run parks and play areas and growing about violence on Britain's streets some parents are unwilling to let kids play away from the home. The perfect solution in this event is to have outdoor toys and play equipment children can use in their own garden with other children and family.

The days of taking a hula hoop outside are arguably dead with internet aware kids wanting an outdoor toy that can compete with a Xbox game. Luckily todays outdoor toy market is enormous with a toy for everyone and prices for all pockets. Encouraging your kids to play in the back garden needn't be pricey though. By showing the kids basic games from the past such as What Time Is It Mr Wolf, British Bulldogs or even Rounders you can get the children playing energetically for very little money!

If you are looking to buy a fewtoys to stimulate your kids in outdoor play then there are some superb options out there to ignite your kid's imagination. For toddlers sandboxes are a perfect purchase to make. Almost any child can benefit from playing in a sandpit and additionally develop important motor skills as they shovel, build or even just run their fingers through the sand. Very small children have a tendency to put all they grasp in their mouths so a watchful eye will be essential until they growout of this problem. The range and quality of sandboxes has moved dramatically from the early eightieswhen the ubiquitous 'shell' design was all parents could buy. Today you can buy stylish timber sandboxes, garden benches that hide sandboxes under the table top and even flexible smaller sandpits that can be kept in the garage or shed and carried out as and when needed. When buying sand for your sandpit make sure you always select a specific 'playsand' that has been treated to remove clay that can stain clothes and skin and has had large particles removed to ensure it's suitable on young skin. The other benefit of selecting a timber sandpit is that once the children have outgrown it you can simply fill it with potting compost and a few flowering plants for a instant flower bed!

Another new entrant to the UK has been cedar 'Swingsets' or climbing frames from the US and Canada These amazing swingsets are normally constructed from cedar or redwood lumber and range from basic swings and slides to multiple level play centres that cost thousands of pounds. There are two main kind of wooden climbing frame available; boxed or modular. The boxed climbing frames from producers such as Adventure Playsets come with everything you need to make a brilliant freestanding timber playcentre by yourself in your own back yard. Modular playcentres such as those from Rainbow Play Systems and Backyard Adventures empower the customer to pick elements that fit together to create their exclusive custom climbing frame. The main distinction are price and quality. The boxed swingsets range from £300 to £3000 in contrast the modular climbing frames are two thousand pounds to £25000+. The modular climbing frames do tend to be of a higher quality and have better guarantees. The other main difference is that boxed climbing frames are produced to be put together by the parent whereas modular sets are normally erected by dedicated build teams provided by the manufacturer. The benefit of a cedar climbing frame is that they last for decades with most being warrantied for 10 or even 20 years guaranteeing the swingset will outlast your child's childhood years.

You don't have to pay out thousands though to motivate your children playing in the garden, there are a wide range of games and toys that can do just that for a couple of quid. On a warm day water pistols are a superb toy and will have children racing around after one another for the whole day using up calories and producing agile and healthy muscles whilst they play

There are of course a great many alternative options to stimulate your little ones and develop an active lifestyle that we really don't have room to go into. Hopefully though this feature will assist to develop your desire in getting the children off the Xbox and into the back yard and help make their future much happier and healthier