5 Ways to Get Your Kids Active

An active and healthy lifestyle is not just for adults. In fact, kids need to be active just as much as their bigger counterparts. Being active as a kid sets the stage for a healthy lifestyle early on, making it much easier to continue throughout life. Encouraging your kids to be more active can be difficult at times, but when you get creative it becomes much more fun!

1. Tag, you’re it!

With warmer weather, outdoor activities are now an easier option. You can engage in games as simple as the classic tag, you can choose one of the many variations of tag, or make up your own. This will not only get your kids active, but you as well.

2. Don’t Touch the Lava!

You may have called it something else when you were young, but nearly every kid has played some variation of the game don’t touch the lava. This game can be played  just about anywhere, as long as it involves jumping from one thing to the next while not touching the ground. Your kids will use their balancing skills as well as concentration, all while jumping around and burning energy.

3. Yoga for the Kiddos

Yoga is trending for all ages. Moving through multiple challenging poses promotes creativity and confidence. Yoga also gives your children both mental and physical health benefits. It helps teach your kids relaxation to aid in managing stress at a young age.

4. Let’s go Fly a Kite

Flying kites is a traditional, fun activity. It allows your kids to use their imagination while running their kite through the wind. Plus, there are many varieties of shapes, animals and characters to choose. Buy them one featuring their favorite character, or help them to try their hand at creating their own!

5. Nature Walk

Nature walks can be fun and relaxing for people of all ages, especially kids. It gets you and your kids out and about while searching for wildlife. Bring a nature book along so your kids can point out when they see a specific creature or plant - learning and exercise at once? Yes, please!

Adding extra physical activity into your kids’ lives will benefit them for years to come. Plus, these activities are great opportunities for building your relationship with your kids!

If you and your kids are interested getting active through a Color-A-Thon run this summer, visit School-A-Thon on our website for more information.

Fresh Springtime Money Saving Activities for Family Fun

Springtime is finally in full-throttle! How can you make the most of exciting and memorable experiences with your family without draining your wallet? While camping, baseball games, frolicking on the beach, and barbeque cookouts are what come to mind for spring and summertime activities, what other opportunities can you enjoy?

Get Outdoors

After a long and cold winter, what better way to spend time with your family then to get outdoors and bask in the sun. Walk to your neighborhood park. Find the best local nature preserves to walk, hike, swim, and explore. Visit botanical gardens. Camp in your own backyard on a clear spring night. Checkout if there’s geocache excursions available in your area for a fun, nature-filled scavenger hunt.

Explore Local and New Cultures

Culture and new experiences are all around you. Help your family embrace culture by visiting museums and walking around local festivals. Both museums and festivals often offer school vacation discounts or admission based on a small donation. Explore the farmers’ market, and try out local delicacies. Rather than adventuring to a new (and perhaps pricey) ethnic restaurant, pick out a dish to create in your own kitchen.

Explore Your Backyard

Your own backyard can hold a treasure trove of activities for you and your family. Think big and finish plans for a brand new tree house or play set. Try creative, smaller projects and build a birdfeeder, wind chime, or compost bin. Paint your mailbox a brand new color or have your kids paint garden stones for your garden bed. Teach your kids about sustainability by having them help plant vegetables for your garden.

Good Ol’ Spring Cleaning

While some people love cleaning, others will want to save this project for a rainy day. After freshening up your backyard, take the productivity inside and tackle spring cleaning. Clean out closets, and get rid of excess junk. See what you can renovate and reuse, and what you can recycle or donate. Put your family to work and let your house breath lighter. Not only is this project free, you can actually make some money if you sell what you don’t want in a garage sale!

Do Some Good

Volunteering is an excellent way to spend time together as a family. Organize a neighborhood or park cleanup and get the neighbors involved, or pick a cause you support as a family and find ways you can help locally. Adopt a pet from a shelter or encourage your kids to become mentors to other kids in your community.

Teach Your Kids

Just because school is out doesn’t mean that your kids can’t keep learning. Teach them how to swim, swing a bat, or ride a bike. Take a step in the silly direction and learn with them how to juggle, how to make a mud pie, how to plant a fairy garden, or how to speak a gibberish language.

Let Your Kids Teach You

Connect with your family and find your inner child by enjoying carefree, nostalgic activities. Cloud watch, bird watch, play in the rain, run through the sprinklers, fly a kite, create sidewalk chalk art, chase bubbles, puddle jump, make pinwheels, braid flower crowns, pick wildflowers, tie dye something- tie dye everything! The opportunities are endless. Don’t miss a chance to be with your kids and let them remind you how fun it is to be a kid again.