Many families spend the summer enjoying indoor and outdoor activities with their kids, going on vacation, heading to the beach or lake. This is wonderful, but that doesn’t mean your kids shouldn’t also get exercise the rest of the year. Now that fall is here, it is important to keep your kids active with these tips.
Find Local Events that Get the Kids Moving
There is no reason your kids need to run laps or participate in boring activities they hate just to be active. Another great option is to find some local events where they will be active, but also have a lot of fun.
Think about a Turkey Tron 5k you can train for before Thanksgiving, a street fair that gets them walking all day, or walking through the pumpkin patch before Halloween.
Play Indoor Games that are Active
Whether you are inside because it’s too late to go outside, or it’s a rainy fall day, there are plenty of ways to be active indoors. The easiest option is to turn on some music and dance around in the living room. This can be so much fun and gets everyone moving, no matter their age.
You can also turn on the video games, but choose something active, like a dance game or a fitness game.
Bring the Kids on Hikes or Bike Rides
When it’s a nice day outside, and you have a little time to spend with your kids, don’t feel stuck inside! Get out and be active with them by going on a hike or taking your bikes for a family ride.
No matter where you live, you probably have some safe, family-friendly places nearby where you can go for a simple hike. It doesn’t have to be a long one – look for 1-mile hikes to start with to get everyone accustomed to this type of physical activity.
Have Family Nighttime Walks
Another easy tradition to start this fall is by having a family walk in the evening. This could be an after-dinner walk to work off some of those calories and get a little tired before bed, or by taking the dog for a walk.
Planning it for after dinner is a great time, because the kids are probably done with their homework by then, and you might have a little window where you usually lounge in front of the couch or they play video games.
Use this as an opportunity to fit in a little physical activity and family time.
