6 Ways to Promote Eye Health for Children (Without Them Even Realizing)
Certain habits we learn in childhood stick with us like duct tape as we get older. That can be a good thing in some situations—or it can result in the need to unlearn bad habits and craft good ones well into adulthood.
Children’s eye health can go either way. A cavalier attitude and bad eye health habits can be passed on, or kids can be taught how valuable their vision is and learn to care for their eyes properly. As a parent or guardian, you have the power to give the gift of knowing how to care for your eyes and letting those lessons continue as your children get older.
But broccoli goes down easier with salt, pepper, garlic, and maybe even a bit of cheese. By the same token, the best way to teach eye health to children is to be a little sneaky about it and make it fun.
1. Have a Weekly “Rabbit Dinner”
Everyone knows that carrots are good for your eyesight since you never see a rabbit wearing eyeglasses (except for the White Rabbit, but that was purely for fashion). What kid wouldn’t want the chance to play bunny at the dinner table each week with a feast composed of eye-friendly foods?
In addition to carrots, you could serve:
- Fish
- Eggs
- Sweet potatoes
- Lean proteins
- Beans
2. Take Up Stargazing or Cloudgazing
Focusing on distant views is a great eye exercise—plus a fun way for families to connect without screens.
Choose cloudgazing on warm days when you can lie in the grass or on a blanket and look up. Don't forget to protect your eyes by wearing sunglasses.
Stargazing is perfect for lazy summer nights. Discover the visible planets and constellations and look for them together. You might get lucky and see a shooting star! Wish that all your kids will grow up knowing how to take care of their eyes—and for world peace, of course.
3. Go Shopping for New Shades
The right sunglasses protect your eyes from the sun and harmful UV rays while looking super stylish. If you take the kids shopping for sunglasses and let them pick out a special pair they love, you won't get pushback about wearing them on sunny days.
We are correct in assuming that your kid would never pick something out and then hate it as soon as they get home, right? Not something you have to worry about with the Visionworks 100-day Guarantee.
4. Prioritize Phone-Free Family Time
We’ll admit that this one is pretty sneaky. Yes, you can choose eye-friendly activities during this time—we’ll talk more about those in the next tip—but the point here is to reduce screen time for the sake of eye health. Virtually anything is a better choice.
This habit takes a team effort, so here are some sub-tips for extra encouragement:
- Lead by example. Constant screen time can result in digital eye strain for you as well as your kids. Take breaks. The kids will see.
- Make it so fun that they forget screens. Family games and activities beat solitary screen time every single time, even if your teenagers might disagree a little.
You can even double-dip by choosing screen-free activities that also help strengthen eye development—more on that next.
5. Encourage Hand-Eye Coordination Play
A lot of sports improve vision qualities like depth perception and visual tracking. In fact, you really can’t go wrong if there’s a ball and activities like throwing, catching, batting, or volleying.
Take everyone’s favorite games and put together a family tournament full of sports like:
- Pickleball
- Softball
- Kickball
- Tennis
- Volleyball
- Frisbee golf
Even just tossing a ball around in the backyard works. If your kids wear glasses, look for durable frames. Plastic frames with scratch-resistant lenses are usually a great choice for little athletes.
6. Make Eye Exam Day into a Funstravaganza
Annual eye exams are super important—but can you make them fun? Challenge accepted. A child’s eye exam doesn’t have to be scary or intimidating, but you can make the entire experience more enjoyable by building a family fun day around the event.
Start by going out for breakfast together. Pancakes and waffles are both acceptable, especially if there’s plenty of whipped cream and strawberries (note that this is not a rabbit meal).
Next, head to the park to get out all the energy and spend an hour going back and forth between the swings, the slides, and the monkey bars.
After all that running, jumping, and playing, the kids may be a little wiped out. It’s the perfect time to visit the eye doctor. Remind them this is just one stop on your super fun family day.
Lunch? We’re thinking chicken nuggets. Consider it a little reward for such good behavior at the eye appointment.
There are a lot of options for the next stop. Maybe an afternoon movie at the local cinema? Or a stop at the trampoline park? Laser tag is a great option for older kids.
Top it all off with ice cream before you head home. Trust us—it’ll be one of your kids’ favorite days of the year. They’ll have so much fun that they’ll eagerly look forward to next year’s eye exam day. We wouldn’t be surprised if they even wanted to celebrate Healthy Vision Month!
Schedule Eye Exams for the Whole Fam
Did you notice how much these tips accomplish? You can promote healthy vision while you bond with your kids and have a whole lot of family fun. And many of these can be done totally under the radar. Your family will have no idea they’re developing eye care responsibility!
But annual eye exams are the cornerstone of any vision plan. Ready to plan your funstravaganza? Find the nearest Visionworks and book everyone’s eye exams while it’s fresh in your mind.
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Information received through Visionworks® content is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice, medical recommendations, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your eye doctor, physician, or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.
Claims regarding blue light efficiency are supported by manufacturer-provided test results.
