A Good Old Fashioned Walk

There is nothing like a good old fashioned walk to get moving and spend some quality time with your family. A wonderful time to head out is after dinner while it is still light. Make sure everyone is wearing appropriate foot wear and has a bottle of water! Get your body moving and enjoy nature, regardless of where you live. Listen for the sounds of birds and other animals, breathe in the aromas of your area, look for different leaves, interesting rocks, beautiful flowers, and animal tracks if you are on a trail. Talk about your day, your hopes, your dreams. Connect with the world around you and with your family. It is a wonderful way to wind down your day. Collect some items from your walk and make a collage or a shadow box. Just get out there and get moving!

Rain, rain, go away!

What to do on a rainy day? Can't really play outside (well, yes you can but...) so blow up a balloon and play balloon tennis. All you need is a space to play, a blown-up balloon, and a line to make the "net" -- that's it! Flip a coin to see who will be the server (the person to start the balloon in motion). Once you determine the server, throw the balloon up and hit it over the net to the other person. See how many times you can bat it back and forth. See how high you can hit it, then how low. Set a timer and see how long you can volley (volley means hit the balloon back and forth without it touching the floor). See if you can spin around and then hit the balloon back. There are plenty of 'tricks' to try.

For the more competitive, keep score. The first person to 10 or 12 wins. You score a point if the other person fails to hit the balloon before it drops to the floor or if the other person fails to get it over the 'net'. Just make sure to have fun and MOVE AROUND! Now grab your kids and get moving!!

An Oldy but a Goody!

Break out your hula hoops! It doesn't matter the weather, you can do it indoors or out! Hula hooping is a fun way to get moving. Shake those hips, rock your arms, swing your neck, wherever you decide to hoop the hula you will be moving and laughing with your kids! It's not just for girls, boys will take on the challenge as well. Get out a timer and see if you can hula hoop for 1 minute or 2? Line everyone up and see who can hula hoop the longest. Can you do it on your knees? Play some music and see how fast you can hula hoop! Just get a hula hoop, your children, and get moving!

A Slave to Your Blackberry or iPhone?

Are you a slave to your Blackberry or iPhone? Do you have a list of things to do or some type of schedule you keep? Then be sure to schedule "30 minutes of quality active time with children"! We ALL need time for ourselves but our children need their closest and best bosses too, YOU!

If the day seems to slip away and you haven't been active and spent some quality time with them than you need to schedule it in with all of your other duties. Trust me, you will be glad you did and more importantly so will your children. It doesn't have to be high impact, crazy fitness stuff just something fun with movement. When was the last time you played hopscotch. It's a cinch right? Try it, you might be surprised. Get to the park, if weather permits, and do the monkey bars. Or better yet, make an obstacle course out of the playground equipment and race. What kid doesn't love to race their parents? Make it even more interesting with the winner having to take the garbage out for a whole week!

Whatever it is you choose to do: ride your bikes, walk the dog, who can do 50 jumping jacks the fastest just schedule it in and be sure when the alarm goes off that you grab your children and get moving! You might even laugh!