Get healthy as a family with these tips for making physical activity a priority and ideas to inspire you to stay active as a family in and around your home!
Get quality time with your loved ones, and set into motion a lifetime of healthy habits!
With 7 easy (and free) activity ideas and more detailed lists of ideas to inspire you, it will be easy to stay active as a family! Also, learn about how to make it happen, as well as keeping your little ones healthy.
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Just before the new year, I started a job with a company I previously worked for and love. I am now loving everything about being a Community Manager with WayBetter.
Part of the fun, is that I get to encourage people to commit to creating amazing new habits. My two favorite games have been Gratitude Attitude – remembering to write down what we are grateful for each day – and Family Fitness – which is all about encouraging parents to get active with their kids. It has been amazing!
So, as this is something I’ve always been passionate about but our busy lives seem to get in the way, this game got me thinking and brainstorming. I wanted to share all the fantastic information that came out of that with you!
Social Distancing
This is a time like none of us have ever seen before. We are all restricted to our homes and life has completely changed.
However, that means that we have more times with our families than ever before. That can be a bad thing, or that can be a good thing.
Let’s make it a good thing!
I can’t tell you what some time outside or finding a creative way to be active inside has done for our family.
Side note, before we get into everything. A trampoline is a parents’ best friend! Our kiddos have had one since they had their first little trampoline when they were preschoolers. Now, they have a 16 foot trampoline and they are on it all the time! The novelty hasn’t worn off after many years.
We want the best for our kids
Our job as parents is to set our kiddos up for the best lives we can give them. We want them to be kind, have friends, and do good in this world. We also want them to be healthy – eat good food, get all their vitamins (we’ll talk more about that later), and take care of their bodies.
The best way to accomplish all these things is to be the best model possible. Our kids learn so much more from what we do than what we say.
When we stay active as a family, they are learning to prioritize health and fitness.
They are also learning the importance of quality time with the people you love and that we value our time together.
Benefits to stay active as a family
Many studies have shown the benefits of physical activity. Exercise improves blood flow, oxygen to the brain and memory. It also stimulates parts in the brain that enhance learning, mood, and thinking.
When you stay active as a family, it will ultimately lead to higher productivity. So, don’t think of it as something you don’t have time for. Instead, think of it as something that will positively impact every other aspect of your day.
Also Read: 41 Ways to be a Child at Heart and Stay Fit
How to stay active as a family and make it a priority
Even while we have this extra time together, we have to make a conscious effort to devote time to stay active as a family. Just because we’re home doesn’t mean we’re not busy. The kids have school, one or both of the parents have work. It can be a lot!
Schedule it and make it happen!
The most important thing to stay active as a family, it just to make it a priority. Schedule it in, and make sure it gets done each day.
Right after breakfast is a great time to get the blood flowing and get everyone ready to work.
The afternoon is a bit warmer and is great for a midday break to head off the afternoon slump.
If work keeps you busy all day, try to schedule it in after dinner. Take a walk as a family, get outside, or play a game inside.
Ideas to Stay Active as a Family
Get Outside
Even in this time where we are told to stay away from people outside our family, that doesn’t mean we have to be stuck inside.
The physical and mental health benefits of fresh air and nature are too numerous to mention. In our family, we have found it to turn our whole day around!
If you are able, try to enjoy some active time with your family outside. Just remember to keep your distance and be smart.
Ideas to stay active as a family outside
- Biking
- Walking
- Hiking
- Nature scavenger hunt
- Play I Spy
- Collect rocks
- Try geocaching
- Play catch
- Clean up trash
- Tag
- Hide and Seek
- Rollerblade
- Hula Hooping
Obstacle Course
Inside or outside, an obstacle course can be an easy and fun way to stay active as a family.
You can use what you have and make it work in your space. Set up a course for the kids. Have them make one for you. Use a timer to race for the fastest time.
It’s so versatile and always a hit!
Some Obstacle Course ideas
- Climb over chairs
- Scoot under stools
- Balance on a line of tap
- Spin around a bat
- Limbo under a stick
- Toss balls in a basket
- Shoot a Nerf Gun
Start a war!
Speaking of Nerf Guns, one of the most fun activities we did during our Family Fitness Challenge was to have a Nerf Gun fight. The kids went crazy and both told me at different times what a fun day it was! This is the perfect set to make it really something special.
You could do this with more than Nerf Guns! A snowball fight in the winter or water balloon fight in the summer. You could even use folded up socks on laundry day!
Family Chores
A way to stay active with the family that is a total double-whammy is doing some family chores. It’s so rewarding and surprisingly fun to finish a useful family activity.
Some ideas:
- Yardwork
- Building something together
- Gardening
- Painting
- Cleaning the house (hint: make it fun for kids with a scavenger hunt for items, or having them pick tasks out of a hat)
Also Read: 3 Ways to Help Young Children Love Cleaning
Family Circuit Training
Circuit training is great because it incorporates a lot of variety, is very customizable with what you have at home, and can achieve a lot of different fitness goals.
Think about the ABC’s when coming up with your plan – Agility, Balance, Coordination, and Strength.
Here are some activities to get you started
- Cone weaving (A)
- One foot hops (B)
- Bean bag toss (C)
- Squats (S)
Let your kids be your trainer
Along with a family circuit, this is another fun thing to do with your kiddos. Let them be your trainer and direct your workout!
Have them lead you in yoga. Let them guide your next walk or hike. Give your kids the power to tell you what to do.
My daughter and I have done this before. It was so fun to see what she came up with. (My favorite were the random back massages she would give in the middle!) She also loved it and often asks to give me a workout.
Also Read: My Kohl’s Wellness Wish for a Personal Trainer
Dance Party!
Getting active with your family doesn’t have to be a big, planned out activity. There is something so fun about an impromptu dance party!
It is a fun and easy way to surprise the kids and stay active as a family! Crank up the tunes and start a dance party anytime.
Pro tip: A colored light or strobe light makes a dance party really something special!
Also Read: DIY $1 Leg Warmers
Hydrate and Take your Vitamins
If you’re interested in reading all these ways to stay active as a family, I know you’re interested in your kiddos’ health! We stay up-to-date on great better-for-you products for kids and families through Moms Meet. This time, we were asked to review Little DaVinci‘s Mighty Vite.
When you’re staying active and busy, you have to hydrate. So, what better way to get those little ones to drink some water and get their vitamins than Little DaVinci’s Mighty Vite? It’s so easy to add a scoop of sugar-free, fruit-punch flavored powder to water or food.
We know that a good vitamin is important. Little DaVinci Mighty Vite contains high-quality, evidence-based raw ingredients. It includes elderberry and probiotics for immunity and gut health!
Save 20% on any purchase on Little DaVinci®’s website with the promo code MOMBLOG. Offer ends June 3, 2020.
Now, let me give you my honest review… We have found many products we love through Moms Meet. They are great companies, usually around for a long time and using best practices. However, that doesn’t always mean my kids are going to like them.
This powder is not a flavor that my kids like. It definitely tastes more like vitamins than fruit punch. I like that it also includes elderberry and probiotics, which are things we take in addition to our usual multi-vitamins. However, unflavored would have been better for mixing into food or a smoothie.
On the other hand, the other products the company sent us – like the immuni-z – are a hit with the kids. They love the lemon zinc lozenge for a healthy immune system.
Just like some of these ideas to stay active as a family aren’t for everyone, different vitamins aren’t for everyone. However, if you find a long-standing company with fantastic standards like Little DaVinci, it’s worth a try!
What is your favorite way to stay active with your family?
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