37 Fun outdoor activities you can do with your kids!
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Stay active with the entire family this summer.
Summer’s here, and the kids are out of school!
You may have been really good this past year with your own, personal exercise goals and are wondering:
How am I going to continue my exercise routine when the kids are home?
Or you may be thinking that you should be more active, but haven’t found the time or type of exercise, sport, or activity that engages you long enough for you to keep up with it.
Well, Summer is the perfect time to get out there as a family and get active together.
I have compiled a list of fun ideas you can do with your kids this summer, outside.
Whatever you choose, make sure to have fun and get plenty of exercise.
Benefits of Exercise
If you are not sure that exercise is for you, let’s look at the benefits.
Engaging in regular exercise can improve overall health and wellbeing, increase energy levels, and boost self-esteem.
Remember, my children are now grown, so hindsight is 20/20.
One of the most important benefits, in my opinion, is by making exercise a part of your daily routine, you can set a positive example for your children and encourage them to adopt healthy habits early on in life.
One of my boys saw me as very active, physically, and he is always participating in some kind of sport.
The other one, saw me as “busy” working.
He does not engage in any sport or exercise activities.
Furthermore, family fitness activities can be tailored to suit different age groups and fitness levels, making it accessible and enjoyable for everyone.
The benefits of exercise are numerous and wide-ranging. They include:
1. Physical health: Regular exercise can help maintain a healthy weight, reduce the risk of chronic diseases such as heart disease and diabetes, improve cardiovascular health, and strengthen muscles and bones.
2. Mental health: Exercise can boost mood, reduce anxiety and depression, and improve overall mental well-being. It can also enhance cognitive function and help with stress management.
3. Longevity: Studies have shown that regular physical activity is associated with a longer lifespan and a reduced risk of premature death.
4. Improved sleep: Regular exercise can help regulate sleep patterns, leading to better quality sleep and increased energy levels during the day.
5. Enhanced social connections: Participating in group exercise or sports can provide opportunities for social interaction and the formation of new friendships, contributing to overall well-being.
6. Better self-esteem: Achieving fitness goals and feeling good about physical appearance can lead to increased self-confidence and self-esteem.
7. Increased energy levels: Regular physical activity can improve endurance and overall energy levels, reducing feelings of fatigue.
8. Disease prevention: Exercise can lower the risk of certain types of cancer, improve immune system function, and aid in the prevention of various health conditions.
9. Weight management: Combined with a healthy diet, exercise can aid in weight loss and weight maintenance, contributing to overall health and well-being.
10. Overall quality of life: Regular exercise can lead to an improved sense of overall health and vitality, allowing individuals to more fully engage in and enjoy daily activities.
We are convinced!
Exercise is fantabulous!
Now we want to choose a perfect activity and exercise routine for the family this summer.
Here are a list of options-I would love to hear what your family enjoys doing together regularly.
Outdoor Activities
It is summer, we want our kiddos outside as much as possible.
This is a list of fun activities you can do together, while enjoying the summer weather.
All of these have the benefit of you and your kiddos getting Vitamin D.
There are many benefits (and needs) of Vitamin D, just a few are:
strengthens bones and muscles, supports immune system, and is helpful for reducing depression symptoms.
- Play Catch: this is a “sneaky” activity. In younger players, it helps with dexterity and coordination, in older players, it helps with balance. Depending on yours and your child’s skill level, there may be plenty of cardio too!
- Frisbee Golf: this is a personal favorite. Courses are free. You walk a course and aim for a basket with your frisbees. It promotes throwing accuracy, catching skills, and agility. Obviously, regular frisbee is great exercise too.
- Ride Bikes: we did this when I was in middle school almost every evening as a family around the neighborhood. The rides were about an hour long; some of my fondest memories from that time.
- Rollerblade: is this a generational thing? Rollerblading builds lower body strength, improves balance, and strengthens your “stabilizer” muscles (core, rotator cuff, and lumbar spine).
- Hike: we have amazing hiking trails, have you checked out the hikes or walks near you? Walking is very low impact, but can have a big impact on your health, benefits include: reducing risk of obesity, diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, anxiety, and arthritis.
- Obstacle Course: Create an obstacle course in your yard that you can do daily. Try to beat your best time each day. Include activities like jump rope, running through tires, and “up, downs.”
- Mini Golf: while this is not a major cardio workout, you are active. Benefits of mini-golf include stress relief, flexibility, mental concentration, and focus.
- Play Tag: there are so many versions! Which one was your favorite? I loved cartoon tag, naming a cartoon that had not been named to be “safe.”
- Playground or Park: children will usually get a lot of exercise at these places. Moms will have to make a more concerted effort. Try walking around the area your children are playing, doing exercises on the equipment, or a routine of squats, lunges, and dips.
- Gardening or Yard-work: my husband would be delighted if the family chose this as the regular activity to do together! Sometimes we don’t realize how good our “chores” are for us! These are great cardio, clean air, and FREE.
- Staircase Intervals: find a great set of stairs. Our library, high school, and courthouse all have fabulous outdoor stairs. You can all take turns running up and down the stairs proving a great cardio workout. This also take a lot of coordination.
- Capture the Flag: my oldest child chose this, in a park, as his birthday party three years in a row! This fabulous game involves running, hiding, and tagging, which promotes agility, speed, and endurance.
- Hopscotch: a classic game that promotes balance, coordination, and agility. It also encourages physical activity, as kids need to hop, jump, and balance while playing.
- Hula Hoop: the health benefits of hula hooping include improved core strength, coordination, and flexibility, not to mention you look fabulous doing it!
If you would like to take your activities a step further, check out our Kindness Calendar!
35 Activities for your family to do together, that will bring you closer.
Bring the family together!
Get a daily activity or thought to bring your family compassion towards each other.
Water Activities
You may be lucky enough to have access to a pool or water!
Many children associate summer with swimming, which is fabulous exercise.
Water-based exercises are known to be low impact, easy on the joints, and provide a full body workout.
- Snorkeling: this is my favorite hobby. I could snorkel all day.
You may have to put this on the “special” list, if you do not live near a body of water where you have anything to look at (like me), but I go once a year! - Water Aerobics: there are two types, shallow and deep. I used to teach deep water aerobics. This is low impact, but high resistance and cool on a hot day.
- Tread Water: treading water is a full body exercise. It is low resistance.
You can create contests with the kids. You are building cardio endurance and improving balance and coordination. - Water Jogging: that’s right, those kiddos want to run? Put them in the shallow water and race them in the pool! It is low impact, builds cardio resistance and strengthens your core.
- Water Volleyball: no one realizes they are getting a workout when they are playing!
If you can organize a regular water volleyball game, this is fun for everyone. You and your children are moving (cardiovascular), outside, and laughing-is there anything better for exercise? - Water Basketball: if your family loves sports, in addition to volleyball, install a basketball hoop at the edge of the pool and play a game of water basketball, combining cardiovascular exercise and fun.
- Canoe or Kayak: whichever you choose, these are great for cardio health and strength. If you are in a two person boat, you also work on communication and collaboration.
- Paddleboarding: this, like the kayak, requires special equipment, but if you have it, use it! This is a full body workout that also helps you with balance, endurance, weight loss, and strengthening your core.
River Tubing: honestly, I could not find health benefits for this, but I did find many for river rafting. So, I chose the ones that made sense: stress relief, team building, boosts self-esteem, and fresh air. - Pool Noodle Jousting: use pool noodles to engage in friendly jousting matches, providing a fun way to improve balance and coordination.
- Kick-board Relays: race each other using kick-boards, which not only improves leg strength but also adds an element of teamwork and competition.
Sports
Your family may love to play sports.
If this is the case, getting outside and being active is going to be easy!
Sports were hard to differentiate from hobbies, so I just, kind of flipped a coin.
Also, rather than describe them and their benefits, I am just going to list them.
- Badminton
- Baseball/Softball
- Basketball
- Football/Flag Football
- Golf
- Horseback Riding
- Kickball
- Pickleball
- Rock Climbing
- Soccer
- Tennis
- Volleyball
Staying active this summer doesn’t have to be boring or mundane.
There are plenty of creative ways to help you maintain an exercise routine, get your family outside and active and having fun at the same time.
Whether it’s playing a game of tag, going for a bike ride, or jousting with pool noodles, the key is to keeping active, finding activities that fit your lifestyle, and enjoying yourselves!