Did you know that kids and teens need to be active at least 60 minutes each day for optimal health? Kids who are involved in sports or who walk to school may meet that recommendation during the school year, but might not during the summer. Check out these tips for summer activities.
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| by Jacqui Zimmerman, RD, Wellness Center Dietitian |
And when temperatures rise too high to be outside, it may mean more time in front of a screen.
You can stop summer boredom in its tracks with these fun (and free) activity ideas:
Set a world record! Visit the Guinness World Records site and see what kinds of crazy world records there are (like the most jumps on a pogo-stick in a minute). How close can everyone in the family get to beating the record? Adding in the competition makes it a little more fun! You can also come up with your own activities and compete for the family record.
Indoor hopscotch. On rainy or really hot days, play hopscotch inside! Use painter’s tape to mark off the board on the floor. It easily pulls up when you are finished.
Twisted charades. Play charades with a twist! Find an everyday household object and see how many things you can act out while incorporating the object. Or act out scenarios from movies or books and see if others can guess the title.
Treasure hunt. Go on an indoor treasure hunt. Hide various objects around the house for the kids to find. Provide older children with clues to engage their minds as well as their bodies.
Get outside. Get outside early in the day or later in the evening when the temperatures are coolest. Geocaching is a fun way to be active as a family outdoors. The Lititz Public Library has a GPS unit that you can sign out with your library card.
Free ideas. Visit the Lighten Up Lancaster website to download a copy of the Lancaster on the Move Guide: a complete guide to all the free and low-cost places to participate in physical activity in Lancaster County.
Jacqui Zimmerman, RD, LDN, is a registered dietitian at Lancaster General Health’s Wellness Center. She has been instrumental in the development of a series of three healthy cookbooks, a variety of cooking demonstrations, healthy shopping tours, and numerous presentations for a range of audiences. She is actively involved in the Education and Schools Action Team of the Lighten Up Lancaster County Coalition. Her experience includes working with people of all ages, from kids and teens to the elderly.
Her blog, "From Jacqui's Kitchen," appears regularly here on the Lancaster General Health website.
[Read Jacqui's blog]