You know the expression, “monkey see, monkey do”? That applies to people, too, especially at a young and impressionable age, and as a parent, it’s important to set a good example for your kids. Your children see what you do and learn that that’s the way they should be, too. That’s why it’s important that you not only appear active in front of your children but also get them in the habit of staying active. If you’re not sure what activities you can do with your kids, consider some of these fun, family-friendly options.
Have a Park Day
Make use of any nearby parks by taking your kids out and letting them run wild. The different obstacles and pieces of equipment will allow them to experiment while also giving them different workouts. While many parents are perfectly content to watch from a bench on the sidelines, you should take the opportunity to join in on the fun and show them how it’s done.
Visit a Trampoline Park
Not every family has the money or the space for a trampoline, but luckily for those who can’t get enough of jumping, trampoline parks have become quite popular in recent years. These trampoline parks are often small warehouses packed wall-to-wall with trampoline floors and foam pits. Best of all, it’s fun for all ages. Who can resist the urge to jump?
Take Up an Active Hobby
While it’s good to go out and get some good exercise every once in a while, it’s even better to have a healthy and consistent routine. There are many ways you can make exercise a weekly (or even daily) activity in your family. For example, make Saturdays a bike adventure day, or get the family to go on half-hour post-dinner walks. If you’d prefer to socialize, consider signing up for a bowling league or another sports-focused club. This has the added benefit of introducing your children to other people who live active lifestyles.
Hold Walking Competitions
Here’s a fun idea: hand out pedometers to everyone in your family and see who can rack up the most steps in a week. Keep track of everyone’s daily progress on a whiteboard on the fridge, and give out awards to the reigning champions. Hopefully, a little competition will spur everyone to be more active in their day-to-day activities. Just make sure that no one shakes their pedometers to cheat!
Do Some Yoga
Nobody ever said that yoga is only for adults. A little family morning yoga will get everyone primed for the day – as long as everyone wakes up in time. While you might not be able to fit this practice into your hectic before-work and before-school schedules, a few minutes of yoga every day, no matter when, can be great for learning balance, getting more flexible, and achieving some inner peace, no matter what age you are.
Play Some Active Video Games
If you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em, right? If you’re struggling to get them to log off, introduce a compromise: they can play video games, as long as they’re active games. Each modern video game console has games that force the players to get up and active, and they can be a real riot for the whole family. Hopefully, this will get your kids their video game fix while getting them up and moving at the same time.
