However, the benefits of an active lifestyle for a kid's physical, mental, and emotional well-being cannot be overstated. Meet Kids That Grow (KTG), a unique initiative created by two passionate mothers, and sisters, Hope and Sara, who understands the magic of an active childhood firsthand.

Join us on this journey to explore how Kids That Grow is igniting a passion for movement, nurturing healthy habits, and creating a world where children can thrive, one joyful step at a time. Let’s delve into the magic of childhood, where laughter and play lay the foundation for a lifetime of happiness and well-being.

How did you come up with the idea for Kids That Grow and what inspired you to start this business?

The inspiration behind Kids That Grow was born from the abundance of happy memories of our own childhood. Along with our 3 brothers and older sister, we spent our days outdoors: exploring, climbing trees, riding bikes, playing elastics, hula hoop in one hand and yo-yo in the other, running, jumping, falling over and getting back up again. Now as Mums, we understand that if our children are bored it is healthy and can encourage imagination and creativity. This was us as kids, often!

Looking back on our childhood it gave us a sense of discovery, curiosity and many happy memories!

Our background is Netball and Yoga.We are passionate about moving our bodies! Four years ago, we began a ‘face to face’ school holiday program which was received really well! We were interrupted, like the rest of the world, and we pivoted to deliver our program online, offering children, parents and carers various options to stay physically and mentally well. We have worked with multiple schools, offering online Yoga and Meditation and we have tailored ‘One on One’ sessions when requested!

Fast forward to September last year, an opportunity presented itself to create our own KTG Website, which is our online hub, that houses our digital movement program, based on short meditations, yoga, targeted movement and active movement. Options of Yoga from the Chair are included, as is a mindful approach to inclusive terms and phrases when referring to children with disabilities, mental health conditions or other differences in ways that are respectful, accurate and supportive.

We have also written a KTG Wellness Journal.

The Wellness Journal created by Hope and Sara

Our journal aims to engage children in developing their own movement plans, extend their social and emotional well-being and create a record of their activity. It is a colourful and fun experience focussed on cultivating positive emotions. It is also a practical resource for teachers, parents, and carers to gain feedback into their children and students emotional well-being. It is our hope that we can engage all children, including our children who are not physically active (but need to move), our children that are not interested in exercise at all, nor engaged in organised sport.

What are some creative and fun ways that parents can incorporate physical activity into their children’s daily routines?

Just taking a moment to breathe is really important! Sitting down together and really enjoying some big deep breaths. Getting outside, bush walking, grabbing a ball and playing down ball, one on one basketball, exploring your local community for free access to tennis and netball courts! Finding your local park, playground or school and creating your own circuit utilising the equipment! Jumping, rolling down hills!

Getting back to old school fun where it wasn’t a requirement or an expectation to spend thousands of dollars! Ultimately, if you are moving, it doesn’t matter what it looks like, it will benefit your body and mind! Cast your mind back to Yo-yos, Elastics, Hopscotch, Balloon tennis, Double Dutch Skipping, Tag…… Ahhhh those were the days!

As Mothers yourselves, how have you personally seen the benefits of physical activity in your own children’s lives?

I think we can see it in the kids now, as they have a healthy awareness of how much enjoyment they get out of putting screens down and going outside and just moving (even if they need a little nudge). It’s also about finding the activities that ignite their interest and passion. All of our children have big appetites too which we credit to burning off a lot of energy, often! We have peace of mind knowing that whatever the physical activity looks like, it is supporting them to build strong bones and muscles to better manage stress and worry. SLEEP! Better sleep patterns can be formed from regular physical activity, we love that! Increased self-esteem and confidence. All these benefits we have definitely noticed and are so important to bringing up happy and healthy kids!

Why is it important for children to engage in physical activity every day? What are the long-term benefits for their overall health and well-being?

Daily physical activity is essential for good physical, mental health, and well-being. If you can encourage your child to be physically active every day, it will help them stay active and healthy through adolescence and adulthood.

Can you share some insights on how healthy habits developed in early years can influence a children’s overall growth and development?

From our own experience it has always been important to us to initiate healthy habits. It can be challenging as they get older and start making their own choices, but we have always kept things pretty simple. Maintaining a consistent bedtime routine where possible, balanced meals that are easy (breakfast, lunch, dinner) but let’s be honest, takeaway on the weekend for sure! And once again not spending too much time sedentary! Move it or lose it! Getting out and about always! Just like when we were kids!

How do you recommend parents overcome the challenge of limited time or resources when it comes to incorporating physical activity into their children’s lives?

We think you just must make time! It really needs to be prioritised each day. And we as adults need to lead by example. That’s what Kids That Grow is about………It is a resource for Mindful Movement for both children and adults. And of course, we have our KTG Wellness Journal!

The Wellness Journal created by Hope and Sara

In addition to physical health, what other positive impacts can regular physical activity have on a child's mental well-being and cognitive development?

You often read articles about movement and exercise lowering levels of depression and stress in children and creating a much more positive self-image. Many studies can back this up. As far as Cognitive skills, it helps with memory, focus and concentration. And, in the formative years when the brain and neurobiological development is fastest after birth, that is incredibly important!

What advice would you give to parents who struggle to motivate their children to engage in physical activity? How can they make it enjoyable and something their kids look forward to?

Start small! We have our digital library with short options to capture young people’s attention. There is yoga, meditation and examples with our own children on camera! Keep it fun and light. Jump onto our website and send us a message about what you would like to see and what we can offer. We want to help! It might be putting on your favourite tunes and jumping and dancing around! We are continuing to film some short yoga classes and something that offers Carers, Mums and Dads an activity that they can enjoy with their child/children. Rule of thumb, don’t overthink it. Looking back at our own childhoods; we survived and there were still monkey bars in playgrounds!!!!

How does Kids That Grow provide a supportive and inclusive environment for children to explore different types of movement and physical activities?

We love to get to know the kids that are involved with our programs. And, also for them to get to know us at every session and workshop that KTG offers! We make it our intention to create a safe space, to deliver instructions in a simple and clear way and to keep activities short to help children maintain focus. We set children up to achieve and to feel good about themselves! And you know what, we want to learn and grow with our Kids That Grow community.”Try everything and repeat what you love”?!

For more tips, be sure to visit the Kids That Grow instagram profile and website.