Monday, March 9, 2015

Tips and Ideas For Having Fun in the Sun

My girls used to spend a lot of time indoors during the summer months. I was the same way not wanting to get all hot and sweaty but I think it really had to do more or less with lack of motivation. Last summer I decided to change it all. We were going to have more fun in the sun. Going to the park was fun and all but I felt it did not bring us closer as a family. One girl was on the swings while the other was on the slide. It was fun and yes we were getting more excursive but not as a family. Here are some tips I have used to help make being outdoors both healthy and family friendly.

3 Outdoor fun ideas:

  1. If you are a very competitive family, and know of a similar family, try getting together over the summer and arrange games. For example each family can be a baseball team. Every sunday you can arrange a time and place to play. Over the course of 6 weeks, the best out of 6 will be the winner. The loosing family might want to celebrate by hosting a BBQ for the winning team. It can be fun to play with neighbors. 
  2. If you are less into sports, try setting up a small game among your family. For example if it is basket ball, just practice running around an outdoor court shooting the steeling the ball from each other. It will be a lot of fun to play sports with your family. I like to think of it as a no competition sporting event. You can end off the day with a watermelon picnic.
  3. For the family who is not into sports try doing what we do. On sunday, I take my girls to the park with some equipment. Instead of having a game, we have fun practicing a small part of a sport. For example with tennis, we just hit the ball back and forth on a hard surface. For baseball, we hit the ball of a tee and see who can run and pick it up fast.
Your family does not have to be into sports to enjoy spending time outdoors. What every your level is make sure to be safe and have fun

4 Tips for being safe outdoors:

  1. Before you go out, make sure to wear sunscreen, hat, and sunglasses.
  2. When you are out, it is super important to drink plenty of water. I make sure to have my girls drink when they wake up and again before we head out. In addition to what they drank during the day, they get a glass when they come home and one before bed. Hydration is super important.
  3. I always take a safety bag that includes hand sanitizer, wipes, tissues, sunscreen, and bandaids. 
  4. If you are playing sports make sure to bring all safety equipment. For example if you are going to do a group bike ride, make sure everyone has a helmet. 
Like I started off with, I was not a fan of getting all hot and sweaty so after having fun the sun, before you go completely home, head over to your local playground with a water system. It is great to just run through and come home all refreshed and ready to hit the showers. 

2 Random outdoor free fun trips:

  1. One last idea my family loves. If you are really spontaneous randomly drive the car around for about an hour (bring a GPS for the way home). After an hour, get off the highway and park the car at a local street and start walking. It is a lot of fun to explore random places. I know for me and my family, we walked for a full day straight and got a lot of good laughs. 
  2. Take a small box and fill it with 4 directions. At each corner, take turns and selecting the next direction like right, left, straight, backwards. Follow the directions and keep walking. You will be getting great exercise and seeing parts of your neighborhood you never knew existed. 
What are some ways you and your family stay active during the summer months?

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