Recess in the Summer – Fun Ways to Keep Your Family Moving
School may be out for summer, but I still try to incorporate a few school lessons in every part of our day.
We do a little reading, a little writing, a little bit of fun math (like how many popsicles has the 3 year old eaten today?) – and of course – RECESS!
It’s all too easy to spend our days in the air conditioning rather than running around and burning off our energy, so we’ve implemented a little bit of mandatory recess every single day.
Big shock – not a single complaint so far.
My time as a Together Counts™ Ambassador has taught me that getting into a great recess routine can be as simple as setting a specific time each day to get outside and be active as a family. Here are a few activities to get you started:
Swinging Competition
Head to your local playground and see who can swing the highest.
Jump Rope
Everyone loves jumping rope. See if you can get to 100 jumps in a row (and don’t be surprised if it’s a lot harder than you remember when you were little.)
Hula Hoop
Teach the kids how to hula hoop and try to build up to 1 minute without dropping the hoop. Keep increasing your time until you have some semi-professional hula hoopers on your hands.
Frisbee
Throwing the frisbee around in a large open field can be a great way to get some exercise – and have a whole lot of fun too.
Morning Walks
Try starting each morning with a walk or bike ride around the neighborhood before breakfast. It’s a great way to start the day – and ensures that you get your exercise in before the summer heat keeps you indoors.
Red Rover
Don’t forget all of your favorite childhood games! Play an active game of kick the can, hide and go seek and red rover with your kids this summer. Teach them some of your oldies but goodies – they won’t even know they’re getting exercise at the same time.
Hop Scotch
Build a giant hopscotch board on your driveway and have fun hopping around.
Hit the Pool
Join your kids in the pool and race from one end to another, see who can stay underwater the longest and who can create the biggest splash.
Take a Hike
Explore your parks for the best nature hikes in town. Make it a goal to walk them all before the summer is over.
Ride to Dinner
Start a tradition of riding your bikes to dinner one night a week – or riding your bikes to story hour at the library each week. Regardless of where you go, see how many times you can ride your bikes instead of getting in the car this summer.
Sprinkler
Spend the afternoon running through the sprinkler, and no one will notice that exercise is involved.
Create an Obstacle Course
Use pool noodles, hula hoops, tunnels and cones to create a fun obstacle course in your backyard. You set the rules and time your kids to see if they can improve throughout the afternoon.
What are some fun ways that you like to incorporate “recess” into your summer break?
Anna Luther is the mom behind the blog, My Life and Kids. She loves to share her stories, make you laugh and help moms feel better about their crazy, messy, fabulous lives. She lives in Ohio with her husband and three little kids.