Skip to content

Top Navigation

Parents Parents
  • GETTING PREGNANT
  • PREGNANCY
  • BABY NAMES
  • BABY
  • TODDLER
  • BIG KID
  • FUN
  • HEALTH
  • PARENTING
  • FOOD
  • HOLIDAY
  • News & Trends
  • Raising the Future
  • OUR MAGAZINES
  • Podcasts
  • Kindred
  • MORE

Profile Menu

Join Now

Account

  • Join Now
  • My Profile
  • Email Preferences
  • Newsletters
  • Manage Your Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Cozi Family Organizer this link opens in a new tab
  • Help
  • Logout
My Account

Account

  • Join Now
  • My Profile
  • Email Preferences
  • Newsletters
  • Manage Your Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Cozi Family Organizer this link opens in a new tab
  • Help
  • Logout
Login
Pin FB

Explore Parents

Parents Parents
  • Explore

    Explore

    • 22 Chore Ideas for Every Type of Kid

      22 Chore Ideas for Every Type of Kid

      Find a chore your kid loves to do, and start a habit of wanting to help out that'll last a lifetime. Read More Next
    • Top 5 Mom Friend Problems—And How to Fix Them

      Top 5 Mom Friend Problems—And How to Fix Them

      Parenting is so much easier with good pals. Learn to overcome friendship hurdles and bond with women who get you. Read More Next
    • How to Sleep Train Toddlers and Big Kids

      How to Sleep Train Toddlers and Big Kids

      Do you struggle to put your kiddo to bed—or keep them there? Read on to find out how to sleep train toddlers, preschoolers, and big kids. Read More Next
  • GETTING PREGNANT

    GETTING PREGNANT

    See All GETTING PREGNANT
    Your Chances of Getting Pregnant, During Every Phase of Your Cycle

    Your Chances of Getting Pregnant, During Every Phase of Your Cycle

    When sex coincides with your most fertile days, your chances of getting pregnant increase. Get to know each phase of your cycle to help you conceive (or avoid) a pregnancy.
    • Ovulation
    • Reproductive Age
    • Maximizing Your Fertility
    • Pre-Pregnancy Health
    • Trying to Conceive
    • Dealing With Infertility
    • Genetics
  • PREGNANCY

    PREGNANCY

    See All PREGNANCY
    9 Signs That Labor Is Approaching

    9 Signs That Labor Is Approaching

    Anxiously awaiting your baby’s arrival? Learn to recognize the signs of approaching labor, which signal that your little one might make an appearance soon.
    • Signs of Pregnancy
    • Pregnancy Week-by-Week
    • Giving Birth
    • Labor & Delivery
    • Pregnancy Symptoms
    • Due Date Calculator
    • Pregnancy Complications
    • Fetal Development
    • Gender Prediction
    • Baby Showers
  • BABY NAMES

    BABY NAMES

    See All BABY NAMES
    These Baby Names Are Predicted to Be Popular in 2022

    These Baby Names Are Predicted to Be Popular in 2022

    From Bridgerton to travel destinations, learn what's inspiring the baby name trends of 2022.
    • Baby Girl Names
    • Most Popular Names
    • Names by Origin
    • Twin Names
    • Baby Boy Names
    • Names by Religion
    • Celebrity Baby Names
  • BABY

    BABY

    See All BABY
    How to Decode Your Baby's Cough

    How to Decode Your Baby's Cough

    Caring for a baby with a wet or dry cough? Listen for wheezing, hacking, or barking first, then read on to find out what's normal and when it's time to worry.
    • Newborn Care
    • Crying Baby
    • Health
    • Baby Development
    • Safety
    • Gear
    • Breastfeeding
    • Diapers
    • Sleep Issues
    • Feeding
    • Nursery
  • TODDLER

    TODDLER

    See All TODDLER
    • Preschool Activities
    • Behavior & Discipline
    • Toddler Development
    • Milestones
    • Potty Training
    • Starting School
    • Health
    • Safety
    • Childcare
  • BIG KID

    BIG KID

    See All BIG KID
    How to Deal With Bullies: A Guide for Parents

    How to Deal With Bullies: A Guide for Parents

    Mean kids aren't just a middle-school problem. The trouble has trickled to the youngest grades. Learn how to spot it—and how to protect children of all ages from bullies at school.
    • Education
    • Health
    • Food & Nutrition
    • Bullying & School Problems
    • Child Development
    • Safety
    • Manners & Responsibility
  • FUN

    FUN

    See All FUN
    17 Budget-Friendly Kids' Birthday Party Ideas

    17 Budget-Friendly Kids' Birthday Party Ideas

    A fun celebration doesn't need to cost a pretty penny. Throw a memorable bash with these clever cost-cutting kids' birthday party ideas.
    • Birthdays
    • Indoor Activities
    • Outdoor Activities
    • Arts & Crafts
    • Printable Coloring Pages
    • Kids' Entertainment
    • Best Toys
    • Holidays
    • Family Vacation Ideas
  • HEALTH

    HEALTH

    See All HEALTH
    All About Coronavirus COVID-19: A Concerned Parent's Guide

    All About Coronavirus COVID-19: A Concerned Parent's Guide

    Here’s everything you need to know about the disease that originated in Wuhan, China.
    • ADD & ADHD
    • Allergies
    • Autism
    • Cold & Flu
    • Coronavirus and COVID-19
    • Cough
    • Down Syndrome
    • Emergency Aid
    • Fever
    • Medication & Vitamins
    • Obesity
    • Rashes
    • Stomach Aches
    • Vaccines
  • PARENTING

    PARENTING

    See All PARENTING
    The Stay at Home Guide for Parents

    The Stay at Home Guide for Parents

    Everything you need to thrive at home as a family.
    • Positive Parenting
    • Parenting Style
    • Celebrity Parents
    • Family Dynamics
    • Divorce
    • Home
    • Adoption
    • Just for Mom
    • Money
    • Toy Recalls
    • Stroller Recalls
    • Moms Run the World
    • The Stay at Home Guide
  • FOOD

    FOOD

    See All FOOD
    • Family Recipes
    • Baby Food
    • Toddler Finger Food Recipes
    • Hints & Tips
    • Healthy Eating
    • Birthdays
    • Holiday Recipes
    • Quick & Easy Meals
    • Food For Pregnant Women
  • HOLIDAY

    HOLIDAY

    See All HOLIDAY
    44 Fun Valentine's Day Crafts for Kids, Preschoolers, and Toddlers

    44 Fun Valentine's Day Crafts for Kids, Preschoolers, and Toddlers

    Spend an afternoon making these Valentine's Day cards, decorations, and edible projects. Bonus: Each one can double as a homemade gift for someone special!
    • Christmas
    • New Year's
    • Valentine's Day
    • Easter
    • Mother's Day
    • Memorial Day
    • Father's Day
    • 4th of July
    • Halloween
    • Thanksgiving
    • Hanukkah
  • News & Trends
  • Raising the Future
  • OUR MAGAZINES

    OUR MAGAZINES

    See All OUR MAGAZINES
    • Parents
    • Parents Latina
    • Ser Padres
  • Podcasts

    Podcasts

    • We Are Family Podcast
    • That New Mom Life Podcast
    • Pregnancy Confidential Podcast
  • Kindred
  • MORE

    MORE

    • Newsletters
    • Contests
    • #ParentsIRL
    • Adulting
    • First Year Playbook
    • Celebrate Your Way

Profile Menu

Join Now

Account

  • Join Now
  • My Profile
  • Email Preferences
  • Newsletters
  • Manage Your Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Cozi Family Organizer this link opens in a new tab
  • Help
  • Logout
My Account

Account

  • Join Now
  • My Profile
  • Email Preferences
  • Newsletters
  • Manage Your Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Cozi Family Organizer this link opens in a new tab
  • Help
  • Logout
Login
Sweepstakes

Follow Us

  1. Home
  2. Family Life
  3. Fun
  4. Sports
  5. Exercise
  6. 12 Ways to Stay Active as a Family

12 Ways to Stay Active as a Family

By Debra Wittrup July 05, 2009
Skip gallery slides
Pin
Credit: Image Source
How often do you hear the familiar lament, "I'm bored?" We've got tips to help change that refrain to "Let's Go!" and inspire your family to get active—and stay active—all weekend long.
Start Slideshow

1 of 12

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Make Time for Playtime

Family at the park
Credit: Fancy Photography/ Veer

Keeping your family active can tax your imagination but it doesn't need to tax your budget. Vacations, museum and zoo visits, movie nights, and craft sessions all have their place in your schedule but lively playtime has the added benefit of being healthy for everyone. The idea is to have fun, keep moving, and spend time together.

  • RELATED: 20 Activities to Do With Your Family This Weekend

1 of 12

Advertisement
Advertisement

2 of 12

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Encourage Supervised Activities

child and father on titter totter
Credit: Fancy Photography/Veer

With so many opportunities for children to participate in organized sports and events, it's important to allow time for unstructured fun. Perhaps the easiest way to keep your family active is to take them to a playground; walk if possible for a little extra exercise. Teach children to use the equipment safely and encourage them to stretch their skills under your supervision.

  • RELATED: 10 Ways to Exercise as a Family

2 of 12

3 of 12

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Teach Bicycle Safety

Boy riding his bike
Credit: Image Source

Bicycling is a sport that kids and adults can enjoy together most months of the year. Start with short rides with frequent breaks for young children and make sure they understand good biking etiquette and the laws that govern public byways. More towns and cities are constructing bike paths that provide safer family outings for all ages and abilities. Be sure that all bikers wear well-fitting protective head gear.

3 of 12

Advertisement

4 of 12

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Build an Outdoor Fort

Playhouse
Credit: Courtesy of Cardboarddesigns

Kids love to build things and the bigger, the better! Constructing forts is an activity that works indoors or out but outside gives you and your budding architects more scope. Not only does it foster problem-solving skills but it fuels the imagination as well. All the items you need can be found around the house: blankets, chairs, old rugs, leftover plywood, cardboard boxes. If you have a clothesline, you've already got a jumpstart as these make great armatures for draping blankets.

4 of 12

5 of 12

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Design a Scavenger Hunt

boys on scavenger hunt
Credit: Image Source

Stage a scavenger hunt for the whole family. You can make your list of common items for players to find from things found within your house and yard or you can enlarge it to encompass the neighborhood. For a neighborhood hunt, alert your neighbors or invite them to join the fun and make it a family competition. Team the youngest players with adults for safety.

5 of 12

6 of 12

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Create a Backyard Water Park

playing in lawn sprinkler
Credit: Image Source

Sometimes the simplest pleasures are the best and they are often right outside your door. On a warm day, set up the lawn sprinkler or an inexpensive water slide, get everyone into swimsuits and let the fun begin. Even an effortless activity like this can have a powerful influence on the lives of young children and strengthen family bonds when shared with parents and older siblings.

  • RELATED: 10 Fun Things to Do With Your Kids This Summer

6 of 12

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

7 of 12

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Splash in the Pool

Family swimming in pool
Credit: Image Source

Swimming lessons are a great way for kids to get healthy exercise and learn how to enjoy water sports safely. But when the lessons are over, get the whole family in the pool together for games like water volleyball or basketball or just unstructured silliness and splashing around. Getting parents and older siblings in the pool, too, will help younger kids develop confidence and safe habits in the water.

7 of 12

8 of 12

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Host Backyard Olympics

potato sack race
Credit: Image Source

Organize a backyard track meet and get the neighborhood involved if you can or plan one in a nearby play park. Use talcum powder to set up race lanes in the grass and place flags at your start and finish lines. Run sack races and three-legged races pairing older and younger participants so that everyone has an equal chance to win. Set up a measuring stick and see who can jump the highest and the farthest. If you have a set of horseshoes, see who can toss them the farthest; use flags to mark everyone's best try.

  • RELATED: 14 Easy Ways to Make Your Backyard More Fun

8 of 12

9 of 12

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Put on a Play

toddler wearing star sunglasses
Credit: Alexandra Grablewski

If building a fort isn't up your child's alley, how about a backyard theater instead? Children love dressing up and pretending, so why not give them the chance to act out their favorite stories? Let everyone, even the youngest actor, get involved in the planning and finding elements for the stage and costumes. Your backdrop can be as unfussy as a blanket hung from a clothesline or a canvas painted with scenery.

9 of 12

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

10 of 12

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Play Ball Games

Kids playing with red ball
Credit: Image Source

Organized games and sports can fill a summer and are important for building teamwork and sportsmanship, but impromptu ball games in the yard or neighborhood can also help build skills and confidence in a less stressful environment and build family relationships at the same time. Rotate positions during the games so that everyone has a chance to expand their abilities.

10 of 12

11 of 12

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Hold a Car Wash

boy washing car
Credit: Jill Chen/ istock

Give the family a chore that's also fun—a car wash. Pull out all the vehicles—even the little red wagon if it's a bit dusty—grab the hose, and fill buckets with soapy water. Even toddlers can wash the lower panels of a car or the tires. Encourage safe water fights but make sure that everyone gets a turn with the hose! Hand around car towels to buff everything (and everyone!) to a squeaky clean shine.

  • RELATED: Secrets to Cleaning with Kids

11 of 12

12 of 12

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Take a Nature Hike

Mom and daughter on nature hike
Credit: Image Source

Walk a nature trail at a local or state park. Have your child spot unusual plants (don't allow them to touch them unless you're sure they're safe and never allow your children to pull up plants or flowers). See what animals you can find and identify. Bring a field guide to birds, binoculars, and a digital camera to record your success. Take along some compact refreshments to keep everyone quiet and focused on the task, but be sure to hang onto all disposables until you get home.

12 of 12

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Replay gallery

Share the Gallery

Pinterest Facebook

Up Next

By Debra Wittrup

    Share the Gallery

    Pinterest Facebook
    Trending Videos
    Advertisement
    Skip slide summaries

    Everything in This Slideshow

    Advertisement

    View All

    1 of 12 Make Time for Playtime
    2 of 12 Encourage Supervised Activities
    3 of 12 Teach Bicycle Safety
    4 of 12 Build an Outdoor Fort
    5 of 12 Design a Scavenger Hunt
    6 of 12 Create a Backyard Water Park
    7 of 12 Splash in the Pool
    8 of 12 Host Backyard Olympics
    9 of 12 Put on a Play
    10 of 12 Play Ball Games
    11 of 12 Hold a Car Wash
    12 of 12 Take a Nature Hike

    Share & More

    Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message
    Parents

    Magazines & More

    Learn More

    • About Us
    • Customer Service this link opens in a new tab
    • Cozi Family Organizer this link opens in a new tab
    • Advertise this link opens in a new tab
    • Content Licensing this link opens in a new tab
    • From Our Sponsors this link opens in a new tab
    • Affiliate Program this link opens in a new tab
    • Accolades this link opens in a new tab

    Connect

    Follow Us
    Subscribe to Our Newsletter
    Sign Up
    MeredithParents.com is part of the Parents Network. © Copyright 2022 Meredith Corporation. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policythis link opens in a new tab Terms of Servicethis link opens in a new tab Ad Choicesthis link opens in a new tab California Do Not Sellthis link opens a modal window Web Accessibilitythis link opens in a new tab
    © Copyright Parents. All rights reserved. Printed from https://www.parents.com

    Sign in

    View image

    12 Ways to Stay Active as a Family
    this link is to an external site that may or may not meet accessibility guidelines.