Thank you to Horizon Organic for sponsoring this blog post. All opinions expressed are 100% my own. #HorizonB2S
Summertime was so easy to keep my kids active. They love swimming, riding bikes and running around playing in the yard. Now that the oldest two are back in school, they don’t have all that free play time every day. I have four boys, and if I have learned anything as a mom so far, it’s that boys have got tons of energy that they need to get out, every single day.
There have been times when my husband and I have made the kids run laps around our house, just to try to tire them out. They love it! As parents, we learned an important lesson, which leads me to the first tip on my list:
Keeping kids active does not necessarily have to be a structured activity. There are tons of things to do that can be done at just about anytime that works for your family. It can be as simple as taking a walk in the evenings. Our family enjoys riding bikes together – another great way to keep everyone active. We also take frequent trips to the playground. Sometimes we try to meet friends at the park so we have enough people to play frisbee or kickball.
Join a team. Now that my oldest 2 boys are in school, they are interested in playing team sports. We have lived in several different areas of the country, and all of them have had a good community recreation center. Check with your local rec center to find out about youth sports programs. It is a great way to get your child involved in athletics. Playing sports helps keep kids physically fit, plus it has been a lot of fun for our entire family. I love watching my kids play games.
Make good nutrition a priority. Sure, I let my kids have occasional treats like cookies and candy. AND I help my kids live a balanced lifestyle full of activity and nutritious foods, too. I have learned that if I don’t want my kids to eat junk food, it’s as simple as not buying junk food. On the other hand, it is very important to:
Keep your child’s favorite fruits and vegetables on hand, ready to eat.
My kids love fruits like apples, strawberries and bananas. They also love baby carrots, peas and broccoli. I put their favorite healthy food choices out for them as much as I can – every single day. If they absolutely hate green beans, but will scarf down carrots, I will make sure to serve them carrots. I don’t try to force feed them the things they don’t like and focus on the good things they will actually eat. This takes a lot of stress out of meal time.
Avoid the Fast Food Pitfall.
- Plan ahead for fast and easy meals. I like to do freezer meals so we can just heat and eat.
- Make the best of what you’ve got on hand. Quick and easy meal ideas: Breakfast for dinner; Soup and Sandwiches; Pasta with Sauce.
Set a bedtime schedule and keep to it.
Kids need to get plenty of sleep every night. A good night’s rest helps them perform better at school and have the energy they need to go about their busy days. My family has a set bedtime and we try to stick to it as much as we can, especially during the school year. I love it when my kids are on a regular sleep schedule. They are happier and healthier for it.
These are some of the things we do to keep our kids healthy and active. I hope one or more of these ideas can inspire you with ways to keep your kids active and healthy when life gets busy. How do you do it at your house?
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This conversation is sponsored by Horizon Organic. The opinions and text are all mine.
bn100 says
by feeding them a lot of fruits and veggies