How to keep your child active during summer vacation
Don’t let having the kids at home during summer vacation worry you. Make some plans and schedule fun activities to prevent a house full of bored kids over the next two months. This article is full of ideas on how to keep your child active and fit during summer break.
It’s summer vacation and your child may have begun complaining of boredom. Here are some tips on how to keep your child active during their summer break from school.
Start by talking to your child the night before or in the morning about the schedule for the day. It takes a little bit of time and planning each day, but having some structure will make the day‘s activities flow better. Remember when making plans, that your child needs at least 60 minutes of physical activity each day to be healthy!
Set some rules over the summer break for watching TV, playing video games and spending time on the computer. Talk with your child and determine a time limit for each day. The current recommendation is up to 1-2 hours daily and no more than 8 hours per week. This will free up their time to be more active and play outside.
Summer time will be a breeze with all these fun activities:
- Keep a well stocked supply of water toys like squirt guns or water balloons. Anything to do with water and using the hose will entertain kids for hours.
- Enjoy the swimming pool. Encourage swim races or a game of Marco Polo. Have a swimming contest and ask a grown up to be a judge. Always follow the water safety rules posted in public swimming pools.
- Play with the water hose or jump through sprinklers on a hot day.
- Shoot some hoops! Play a game of HORSE or one-on-one. Basketball is a great way to get your child’s heart rate up and it also improves their hand/eye coordination. Make sure to lower the height of the basket and play with smaller balls if you have younger children.
- Set up an obstacle course in your backyard or at a playground. Use a variety of obstacles to challenge their skills such as a jump rope, soccer ball or tennis racket.
- Visit the tennis courts in your neighborhood. Whether your kids run around the court and collect the balls or try to hit them as hard as they can, tennis will get their heart pumping!
- Invite the neighborhood kids to play in an organized game. Set up a scavenger hunt around the neighborhood or organize a softball game with all the kids and adults.
- Revisit your childhood and join your kids for some fun outdoor games. Remember the games like Mother May I, red light/green light, Simon says, or hopscotch? Forget how to play? Just ask your kids. They will know!
- There are some days when it is just too hot to go outside. That is when video games such as Dance, Dance Revolution or the Wii fit game might come in handy.
- Check out the local youth center, recreation programs and ymca for fun indoor activities.
Get kids involved in planning their activities. Have them come up with a list of their favorite activities and post it on the refrigerator. Have him check off an activity, each time it is done.
Kids and Summer Time Activities -
Useful Links and Tools
25 Indoor and Outdoor Activities for Kids
Importance of Keeping Kids Active (article)
Be Creative with Summer Activities
Having a variety of sports equipment available will entertain kids for hours. Look for used bases, bats and goals at garage sales or second hand stores. Teach them how to play sports like soccer, frisbee, volleyball, football or baseball. Better yet, let your child be creative and make up their own games.
Build a “fort” in the living room. Have any old boxes? Have them cut out windows and paint the house with their favorite colors. If you don’t have any boxes, a living room “fort” could be as simple as a few kitchen chairs gathered in a circle with a large bed sheet thrown across them and draped to the floor. The kids can pretend they are camping out in the living room.
You’ve heard this over and over... “children are more likely to make healthy choices when their parents set a good example.” Show them that you enjoy exercising and being healthy and they will be more willing to give it a chance. Let your child show you how to play a game that they made up. Don’t forget small things like walking to the store instead of driving, or taking the stairs instead of the elevator. Get moving yourself. If you do active things, chances are that your child will too.
Written on July 2009
Last updated: July 2009
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