Making Physical Activity Fun This Summer

African american little girls playing outdoors
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The school day presents many opportunities to be active, whether it is gym class, recess, after-school sports, walking or biking to school or impromptu outside games with the classroom teacher. But now that school is out you may be wondering how to make sure your kids stay active. Making Physical Activity Fun This Summer - So I challenged my daughter to come up with activities she would enjoy for the week. I was really impressed with her creativity!

Day 1: Scavenger hunt. Take a walk through the park in search of a list of items you devise, such as orange flowers, fire hydrants, people riding their bikes, birds and much more.

Day 2: Dance party! Dance to songs with family or friends. You can have a silly dancing contest, a freeze dance competition, lip sync or just enjoy the music.

Day 3: Walk in a meadow. Take a walk on a path through a nearby meadow. The long grass and wildflowers are a beautiful sight, and I recommend going around dusk to see more animals. Look for bunnies, squirrels, turtles or other creatures.

Day 4: Fly a kite (you may want to pack water and snacks because this activity can entertain you for hours). On a windy day, run around while launching your kites high. Trust me, this is really fun for kids and adults.

Day 5: Waterpark! On a hot day, encourage your children to invite some friends over to make a waterpark. Make water balloons, a slip and slide or just run through a hose. Plan races so they can run around more.

Day 6: Luck of the draw: backyard exercise. This could be playing on the sliding board and swings, playing red light /green light or doing fun animal yoga moves.

Day 7: Mystery activity. How cool is this? I have no idea what it will be!

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Melissa Altman-Traub
Melissa Altman-Traub, MS, RDN, LDN, is an associate professor of allied health and freelance writer and speaker. Connect with her on her website, MelissaTraub.com, and on Instagram and Twitter.