5 Summer Night Games for Kids

There is something special about night games. When it’s dark outside, that’s when the fun games really begin. Enjoy what’s left of this warm weather and get your kids active with these fun night games.

Flashlight Tag

One of the classics! One person is “it” while the rest go hide. The person who is “it” is the one with the flashlight. “It” will count to 10 and then go find the ones hiding. Once you are caught in the flashlight, you are tagged. The last person to be tagged is the winner and the first to be tagged is the next person who is “it”.

Ghost in the Graveyard

Select a pair of players to be ghosts to hide somewhere. The rest of the group is in the “safe” area. The group in the safe area will shout “one o’clock, two o’clock, three o’clock…” all the way up until midnight. Then they fan out into the playing area looking for ghosts. Once they spot a ghost, they yell “ghost in the graveyard… run, run, RUN!” That warns everyone to get back to the safe area. At this time, the ghosts are free to leave their spot and chase the rest of the group. If anyone gets tagged by a ghost, they are a ghost the next round.

Glow Stick Volleyball

Everyone gets four glow sticks, one for each wrist and one for each ankle. (Pro tip: You can buy a big pack of glow sticks online for under $10!) Use a glow-in-the-dark volleyball, or use any leftover glow sticks to insert into a beach volleyball. Have fun keeping the ball off the ground by hitting it back and forth, or play a real game if you have a net available.

Outdoor Movie Night

Grab your favorite treats and invite a few of your friends for an outdoor movie night! If you’re a DIY lover, try your hand at making this DIY smartphone projector. Then, all you need is a white sheet or wall to project on and your kids’ favorite Netflix movie.

Firefly

This game should be played with a small pocket flashlight so that the beam isn’t as easy to spot. One person is chosen to be the firefly and goes to hide in the dark away from the rest of the group. After counting to 20, the players go off in search of the firefly (who is moving from spot to spot constantly). Every 60 seconds, the firefly must flicker their flashlight off and on. Once the firefly is caught, the game is over and a new firefly will be picked.


Make safety the number one priority and set a boundary for kids. If your kids are younger, have them hide with a buddy. Head outside and play with your kids for a fun family night and build lasting memories. After all, the new school year is right around the corner!

How to Get Your Kids Off The Couch

It may seem impossible to keep your kids active in a not-so-active world. However, there are some things you can do to change that.

What many of today’s parents seem to forget is that they have to lead by example when it comes to getting their kids active. Kids look up to their parents as role models and base a lot of their behavior after what they see and hear. Participating in playtime with your kids make getting active a lot more fun.

Simply going outside and teaching your kid how to ride a bike can be extremely beneficial. You get some quality bonding time in with your child, and you teach your child the importance of physical activity. Kids need at least 60 minutes of physical activity each day. This is a crucial first step in ensuring your child can maintain his or her health further into the future.

Next time you’re sitting at home and see your kid has been sitting inside for hours playing on the X-Box or sitting on their phone, ask them to come outside and throw a baseball around. Your child is guaranteed to benefit from the activity and you may just establish a closer relationship with your son or daughter.

1. Plan a family outing that revolves around physical activity such as going to the park, hiking, swimming, playing soccer, or a variety of outdoor activities. 
2. Create a space in your house specifically for getting active. Have supplies in this area such as hula hoops, a basketball hoop, tennis rackets, balls and more. 
3. Set limits to how much time your kids can spend on devices or in front of the TV. 
4. Teach your kids one of your favorite childhood games such as Kick the Can, Freeze Tag, or Hide and Go Seek. 
5. Have a dance party! Who doesn't feel like moving when fun music is playing? 
6. Have a family contest to see who can get the most steps in one day. You can do this by wearing a FitBit or with a step counter on your phone. 

Make memories with your kids this summer and drop that remote and get active! Follow School-a-Thon on Facebook page for more summer fun ideas.

Family Fun for Labor Day

Labor day is a holiday held on the first Monday of September and celebrates the working class. Labor day weekend is, for many, the last big hurrah of summer. Fall is on its way, school begins again, and there is less time to spend outdoors before the winter hits. To make the most of your labor day weekend, we’ve compiled a list of fun activities for you and your family:

Visit the Park

The U.S. has some absolutely beautiful state and local parks. Discover a location nearby that you have never visited, or take a trek to a nearby state. Plan a weekend-long trip or take an afternoon walk up the street to your neighborhood park. Summertime is littered with hiking, biking and having fun outdoors and a park is a perfect place to squeeze in some last minute fun.

Outdoor Staycation

Combine everything that summer means to your and your family into one night from the convenience of your backyard. Catch fire bugs, build a bonfire and roast s'mores, sleep in a tent, and watch the stars. Teach your kids about the constellations and where their names came from or make up your own!

Catch a Baseball Game

Nothing says summer like an outdoor baseball game. Encompass all that is summer in one afternoon by taking in a day at the ballpark. Check your local ticket provider for last-minute seats, or attend a local minor league or summer league game. Don’t forget the peanuts and cracker jacks!

Play Games Together

Nothing brings families together like a good old-fashioned family game night. Take the old favorites down from the closet, or start a new family tradition with minute-to-win-it games or lawn games like bean bags, giant Jenga, or yard dominos.

Host a Water balloon fight

Gather your family and friends and host an all-out battle royale water balloon fight! Since summer is winding down, now is the best time to have one last splashy bash and use up your aquatic supplies from the summer. If you don’t have any left, check out this cool idea for DIY Sponge balls.

Summer might be coming to an end, but there are plenty of ways to celebrate Labor Day weekend with your family. What are your favorite Labor Day activities? Comment below!

Summer Sunscreen Safety For Kids

In Minnesota, August is one of, if the hottest month of the year. It also happens to  be the last month of freedom for many kids before they head back to school, which means kids all over the state are cramming in as much fun as possible.

Many parents know that one of the most important things to protect your child from the summer elements is sunscreen. Recently, though, there has been some controversy around using sunscreen, which kinds of sunscreen to use, and how often is safe to use it. We know that your kids are important, and seemingly obvious habits - such as using sunscreen- can be questioned with a few internet posts. Let’s go over a few facts about sunscreen for kids, to clarify the subject:

What’s the difference between SPF’s?

SPF - or sun protection factor- is the approximate measurement that a sunscreen will protect you from the sun’s ultraviolet rays. Although a higher SPF might seem to protect one better from the elements, it is important to take in mind is how well you apply the sunscreen, how often you are applying it, which types of rays the sunscreen block, and other elemental factors.

High SPF products are not always the best. They tend to lull the wearer into a false sense of security, preventing them from reapplying sunscreen when they need to. They also contain higher concentrations of the sun-filtering chemicals, and can be irritating to small children.

There is more than one type of UV ray

There are actually three types of UV rays: UVA, UVB, and UVC. UVC rays are filtered out by the earth’s ozone, so don’t be concerned if your sunscreen doesn’t list UVC on the bottle. None of them do. UVB rays are the most harmful; sunscreen will protect you from UVB rays, but not all of them protect against UVA rays. UVA rays cause skin to tan. Although alluring to many, tanned skin is actually a sign of genetic mutation, and can lead to premature aging, wrinkles, and certain skin cancers. When choosing a sunscreen for kids, pick one that protects from both UVA and UVB rays.

How often to apply

This can vary from brand to brand. Be sure to read the instructions on your chosen brand of sunscreen. It also depends if your child is playing in direct sunlight at the sun’s peak time of day (10 AM to 4PM) or in the shade in the early morning or late afternoon. A good rule of thumb for reapplying sunscreen is every two to four hours, depending on the wearer’s activities.

When to reapply:

The location and time of day in which your children are outside will play a big role as well. If your child is more active during hotter times of day, he or she will sweat more, and if your sunscreen is not waterproof, you will need to reapply more often. Likewise, if your child in playing in or around the water (as most kids do in the summer) it is a good idea to reapply often.

But, what about that scary post I read on the internet? Is sunscreen harming my child?

This year, there have been reports circling the internet that sunscreen is bad for children. One of these reports is about the chemical Oxybenzone in some sunscreens, and how it can be a hormone disruptor in children. Simply put, the data is simply not there. A study often cited used rats - not humans- as participants, and these rats ingested shockingly large amounts of the chemical that would not be present in sunscreens. As common sense would tell us, large amounts of any chemical- beneficial or not- could be potentially hazardous. If you have questions, ask your doctor, not the internet.

Other posts and images on the internet are simply instances of sunscreen misuse and are examples of how not to apply or choose a sunscreen. Some are not best suited for children, but sunscreen, on the whole, is important to protect children from the damaging rays of the sun.

If you come across any of these if the post, ask yourself a few questions: Is the post promoting or selling a sunscreen that is “safer” than conventional sunscreen? Is the research backed up by scientific data or just opinions? You might find that you want to do a little more research when reading these posts.

So, what is the best way to protect your kids?

• Question what you read on the internet. Do your research. The sun’s rays can cause cancer - this is known and proven time and again. Other sunscreen speculation is often just that - speculation.

• Use a sunscreen between SPF 30 and 50. Higher SPF’s can seem tempting and more protective, but higher SPF’s can overwhelm a child’s sensitive skin.

• Reapply every 2-4 hours as needed. As adults, we often find ourselves in awe of how much energy our children have. Encourage them to take a break every now and then to reapply their sunscreen (and maybe drink some water).

• If your child is having issues with their sunscreen, don’t take to the internet—ask your doctor. If your child has continuing issues with sunscreen, it may be that your child is allergic to a chemical in that particular brand and need to switch to using something else.

A parent’s issues with sunscreen often stem from other underlying factors; an unknown allergy, misuse, the wrong SPF rating, longer than expected exposure time—there are many factors. The one fact that remains is that kids love to play outside and need to be protected from the sun. Help your children enjoy the last month of summer the right way: protected from harmful rays and sunburn-free.

Fitness Activities for Your Family

Are you trying to keep your family active and healthy, but don’t have time for the gym? You can still be fit and have a great workout without the treadmill and dumbbells. Exercise can not only be beneficial to your family’s health but also serve as quality bonding time! Dedicate one hour of fitness-related activities each day to keep your family in shape. Let these creative fitness ideas turn your family into a happy and healthy family!

Do a Dance Off!

Hold a family dance-off! Each member of the family gets one song to show off their dance skills. Pick upbeat tracks that get you and your family moving! Your can do this for 20-30 minutes each day and pick a daily champion - Maybe even allocate prizes to the best booty-shaker of the day!

Utilize Commercials

Does your family seem to be watching too much TV? Many families have a certain TV show or televised sport they watch together. Next time you are enjoying yours, get up and move around during the commercials. You can do exercises like sit-ups, push-ups, and jumping jacks in your living room. You can also change the name of these workouts to make them sound more fun to your kids. You can also put a different family member in charge to give the activities orders or play a quick round of Simon Says. This will keep the kids interested in these commercial break workouts.

Start a Sports Night

Pick a night out of the week that you have the most free time in your weekly schedule and have a sports night! There are a ton of sports you can play that double as a workout. You can play soccer, kickball, football and much more. You can also organize with your neighborhood to get other kids to join in the fun!

Hold a Hula-hoop Contest

Once a week, have a “longest Hula-Hooper” contest. Hula hooping is a great way to get the kids moving all their muscles, working on their coordination, and participation in a good cardio workout. Use a whiteboard or something similar to keep a weekly log or stat of all the family members.The longest hooper of the week will be crowned the king or queen of that week! Leaving the scores of the contest up will have your kids practicing on their own so they can take the crown for the next week.

These activities are short, sweet and super fun. You can get your family in great shape and share quality time with them. Try new activities each week that get your family moving! Check our Facebook page for more ideas, or follow us on Twitter. We hope you enjoyed these fitness ideas, now go get your family moving!