10 activities you suggested in our first birthday contest
We’re always looking for new ways to keep our kids busy, active, and, most of all, having fun. For our first year anniversary we held a contest asking you to share how you get your kids active outside. (Read the excellent comments and suggestions you had for us.)
From your fantastic responses we learned three things:
Be the ready, in ‘ready, set, go’…
Hisako leaves a bag of sand toys, sunscreen, and hats packed in the trunk so it’s that much easier to stop at the park while she’s out running errands.
Carrie keeps the family’s bikes in their truck so the option of going for a ride is always there.
Bailey-Eileen lets her kids pick a location to go to for the day – the mall, the park, the waterfront – but wherever they go, they have to walk there and back.
Angela and Jenn sign their kids up for runs.
Shell plans picnics and nature walks.
“Logic will get you from A to Z; imagination will get you everywhere.”
Simon’s family makes whatever they’re doing an adventure, a hunt, or a challenge. The kids ‘hunt’ for berries, they hike or bike to tree or rock climbing ‘adventures’, and for the “sporty stuff” they challenge each other to do one more – one more throw, catch or run down the slide – than last time.
Anne dances her kids wherever she wants them to go.
Darcie has her kids invent their own game.
Mike and his kids use their GPS to explore for geocache treasure.
With an eye to training balance, comfort, and coordination for board sports like snowboarding or surfing, Christian’s kids duct tape a wheel-less skateboard board to their shoes and jump on the backyard trampoline.
“Be the change you wish to see in the world”
One of the most repeated refrains in your suggestions was that the best way to get your kids active was to be active yourself. To get out there and climb, bike, and water-balloon fight with them. To throw, kick, and catch with them. To walk, garden, and puddle-jump with them. To turn off the TV, to open the door, and to lead them outside…
