We need to do more to keep our children active, not just to enhance the lives they are living today, but to ensure they have healthy, active futures.

Two reports the past week suggest we are failing in this regard.

Active Healthy Kids Canada, a charitable organization that promotes the important of physical activity, says a staggering 90 per cent of Canadian children are failing to meet guidelines on physical activity, earning the country an overall grade of D.

In the area of screen time — time spend in front of a TV, computer or video game — the grade has dropped to F.

The organization’s chief scientific officer, Dr. Mark Tremblay, says it’s critical youth turn off gadgets and get moving.

If they don’t, they face a variety of health problems in their older years.

The report says the average child in the 10-to-16 age group typically spends six hours a day in front of some type of screen. That’s 42 hours a week, more than the standard adult work week.

The report finds boys are more likely to play video games, while girls spend more time on the computer engaged in social networking.

Meanwhile, Statistics Canada reported a smaller percentage of Canadian children participated regularly in organized sports activities in 2005 than in 1992.

In 2005, 51 per cent of children regularly took part in organized sports during the 12 months prior to the survey, down from 57 per cent in 1992.

The Conservative government made much of its new tax break for Canadians who registered their children in organized sports leagues.

Unfortunately, the break is in the form of a non-refundable tax credit at the rate of 15 per cent of what was spent. Translation? Spend the maximum eligible $500 registering your child in sports, get a $75 reduction on how much you pay in taxes, if you’ve made enough to pay taxes. That’s not much help.

Meanwhile, there’s not much incentive for families who try to keep their kids active, but outside of the traditional activities of hockey, soccer or baseball.

A more innovative approach would give  incentives to people who bought children’s bicycles, golf clubs, cross-country skiis or snowshoes and so on. Sports leagues and team sports are not for everyone. At this point it would seem any and all types of activity merit promotion.

A real program that helped defray costs would be welcome. So would all of us parents turning off the TV or computer much more often. It’s not just up to government.

We all need to take responsibilty to keep young people active in this digital age.