Hands up, who else struggles to keep kids active during the summer or just active full stop? These days it seems it’s much more fun to sit and watch other kids having fun on YouTube than to actually go to the effort of dragging themselves away from the screen and do it themselves. That seems to be the case more often than not with Olivia these days. I really struggle to develop new and fun ways to stop her from becoming a couch potato that the surly tween in her will enjoy. So here are my 7 ways to keep kids active this summer.

7 Ways to Keep Kids Active This Summer.

Trampoline.

Olivia got a trampoline for her birthday this year, so I will be making sure she gets some exercise and that all-important fresh air this summer right at home in our back garden. Weather permitting. If you have one at home, too, why not try setting challenges, daily goals, or even joining in with your kids for a bounce-a-thon/bounce competition? That way you can keep active as a whole family too. Currently, our family’s favourite way to keep kids active all year round!

Bike Riding.

I am lucky enough to live a stone’s throw away from our local park, and it’s a fairly decent size. With Olivia now being old enough to go out alone, she can take bike rides with friends or her cousin, and I will always be within walking distance. Or for a nice day out, I can take her down to the promenade overlooking the River Mersey and take a little picnic with us too. The hills on the way home will be a sure-fire way of tiring her out.

Maybe you could challenge your kids to a bike race this summer or to visit as many places as you can via bike!! You could even check some of the UK’s best family-friendly cycle routes for fun and cheap days out.

Learn A New Skill.

Challenge your kids to learn a new skill this summer or take up a new hobby. Maybe you want to impress them with some roller skating tricks from your youth, or were you a rollerblading fan? Or was it a different set of wheels that took your fancy? Skateboarding takes skill and practice and is a great way to keep your kids active this summer, as well as teaching them something new. Skate Hut has some great skateboards and accessories to get you started.

Outdoor Olympics.

Get training and join in the fun with your own family Olympics. Get the cushions out off the sofa and make a mini obstacle course in the garden. Got skipping ropes? Use them too. Make it up. Start a tradition and make it a yearly family Olympic challenge. You could even make it last for the whole summer too. A different challenge each week, and the winner gets a prize at the end of the summer!

You could even combine this with teaching your kids a new skill and learn a new sport such as Badminton and set them up with badminton rackets and shuttlecocks as they practise.

Get Walking.

Most of us have either an app on our phones or an activity tracker. Walking is fun and easy and suitable for pretty much everyone. So why not aim for a different amount of steps each day? Increase it weekly and set the challenge to beat your score each week. Maybe walking will take you to places you haven’t been to before. Or you could have a forfeit if you don’t complete your steps? If you miss your target, you have to do a chore for the next week! Obviously not good for toddlers, but this would work a treat with Olivia.

Just Dance.

Keeping fit and active doesn’t just have to happen outside of the house. If you have a childlike mine who is seemingly glued to YouTube, why not utilise what they have to offer and get those music videos on. Have a dance party, or find some tutorials and have them learn a new dance. I have written before about how I love using YouTube for Zumba. Fit and fun all at the same time!

These are just some of the ways I will be encouraging Olivia to keep active this summer. What are your favourite ways to keep kids active during the summer?

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*DISCLAIMER: A Collaborative Post*