WAYS TO GET KIDS MOVING

Summer vacation is right around the corner for kids, and that means endless days of playtime out in the fresh air… or hours on end of watching television indoors. Since physical activity is critical to maintaining a healthy lifestyle, you may be searching for ways to encourage your kids to get moving. In order to compete with devices such as cell phones and video game consoles that are calling their name, we’ve outlined a few fun ideas that will get kids active without them even realizing they’re getting their exercise in.

MAKE IT FUN

The easiest way to get kids moving is to make whatever physical activity you’re doing fun. It sounds simple in nature, and it totally can be – especially when you have these fun, kid-friendly activities in your repertoire!

• Heading out for a walk? Make it more interesting by turning it into a scavenger hunt!
• When nightfall rolls around, that doesn’t mean you have to head indoors! Take a relaxing stargazing walk. Run around and catch fireflies together. Play flashlight tag. Or, if kids are a bit older, set up a game of Manhunt!
• Create a backyard obstacle course. Set up small safety cones for kids to run and weave through, or hula hoops to hop through. Incorporate a bean bag toss, balance beam challenge, or pop-up crawl tubes. The possibilities are nearly endless! Better still, time your kids with a stopwatch or cell phone timer as they race to finish the course. It will motivate them even more to complete the challenge.
• Rainy day? Play some classic games indoors such as “Red Light, Green Light,” “Simon Says,” and “Leap Frog.” They don’t need a lot of space but can surely get kids’ blood flowing!
• If you do decide to break out the video games, there are plenty of more active games for kids to play these days, such as Wii Fit. Find a few that are multiplayer so you can join in on the fun as well!

STEP OUTSIDE

With the A.C. blasting indoors, sometimes it simply seems more comfortable to stay indoors. While we’re all for staying safe in the sunshine (so be sure to apply some SPF prior to heading out), some fresh air and Vitamin D simply does kids good! Take them to the local pool, to a nearby shaded park, or simply out and about running errands. Just because it’s hot out doesn’t mean it has to be unbearable!

BE AN EXAMPLE

Set an example for your children. If a parent is lazing around, it makes kids all the more likely to. Show them what it means to live a healthy and active lifestyle by regularly incorporating physical activity and fitness into your routine: stretch regularly, step out for walks, or make appointments with yourself to head to the gym. Not only will it make you feel better about your own health, but it will encourage children to live a similar lifestyle filled with fitness.

THE MORE THE MERRIER

If your schedule allows for it, encourage kids to have their friends over for the day. They’re much more likely to have fun if they have a playmate! If you can get enough kids together, a game of backyard wiffleball is always a hit. So are water balloon fights and some good ol’ running through the sprinkler, if it’s hot out enough!

KEEP ‘EM MOVING YEAR-ROUND

At the end of the day, summertime is a fantastic time for kids to run around and have fun, but physical fitness is important year-round for a healthy lifestyle. Get kids moving and keep them busy with the fun activities outlined above, but feel free to come up with your own games as well! By showing kids that exercise can be fun, they are all the more likely to make it a regular part of their lifestyle as they grow. Cheers to a great summer!