10 Ways to Keep Kids Active This Summer

I am thrilled to be participating in the School’s Out! Top 10 Series by the KBN. Today I am sharing with you some of my favorite ways to keep kids active in the summer. It is so important to keep kids active and moving instead of turning into couch potatoes over the summer.

Keep kids active with sports and athletic activities. Enroll kids in sports camps or lessons.  We usually do swim lessons and/or a sports camp each summer. My kids love being involved in these things.

They learn valuable skills and are keeping active in the process. If you don’t want to spend money on camps or lessons, you can still go swimming and play sports together as a family.

Play a game of soccer or basketball in you backyard together. Sometimes we like to walk over to the baseball field by our house and just play baseball together with our little family. It can really be a lot of fun!  You could also take your family bowling or miniature golfing. These are fun active sports that the whole family can enjoy together.

Keep lots of classic active toys and games on hand for your kids: jump ropes, balls, bikes, scooters, hula-hoops, trampoline, etc.

Kids love to play with these kids of toys and they keep them moving in a fun way. There are also fun board games to keep kids moving. Twister & Elefun (my little ones are obsessed with this game!) are a few I can think of.  I loved this post about active games- included is a great list of homemade ones, too!

There are so many fun games you can draw on your driveway with chalk. Here are a few fun ones you can check out: Hopscotch Calculator, Sight Word Hopscotch, 20 Activities to do with Sidewalk Chalk, 8 Unique Games with Chalk,

My kids love to build these in the back yard for each other. They pull in their outside toys (slides, mini trampoline, tunnels, board for balance, cones to run around, things to jump over, pull a wagon, ride a bike, ring toss, bean bag toss, etc…) and create a little course to play with. This is a great active adventure for kids!

Do you remember playing all of those fun games outside as a kid?  See my post on The BEST Classic Outdoor Games for Kids  Do they know how to play all of the old classics?  Here are a few I loved growing up: Kick the can, Mother may I, Simon says, Charades, Capture the flag, Red light-Green light. These games will definitely get them moving!

Invite neighbor kids over to play & run together. When you have a group of kids together they are always likely to run around more & be active. Have weekly play groups with local friends. Host a neighborhood block party with fun active games.  In a couple of weeks we are having a neighborhood water party. Everyone is bringing a water gun, we are doing a slip & slide, a water balloon fight, & more.

 

7.  Family Walks and Bike Rides

One of our favorite ways to keep kids active is doing it together as a family. We like to go on walks or bike rides together in the morning before the heat sets in – or after dinner. We have a nice paved trail that we go to and the kids are safe to run or ride their bikes. Make this a regular activity! It is great for family bonding, too.

Video games aren’t usually something you would think of for staying active, but there are lots of games now that get kids moving. If you own a video game console, get your kids some of these active games.  We like some of the Nickelodeon Wii Fit & also Just Dance Disney, but there are lots of fun ones! This can be good for those especially hot summer days. The Oculus VR also has some amazing active activities!  I personally love the Supernatural workout game on the VR!

There are always fun 1-mile kid races throughout the summer. You can run a 5k right along with them to encourage them.  You can even train together. Doing it together you can really inspire each other.

10. Get Outside

Keep kids active by exploring state or National Parks, local landmarks, etc. Go hiking and climbing together. Take your kids to local parks- visit a few new ones this summer. I am organizing a forest school this summer to get us up in the canyon by our home more often. We are really excited! It starts tomorrow. Don’t worry, I’ll tell you all about it.

Also: Try the 30 Days of Moving With Kids Challenge!