familyfun "get active" badge

we still have a month and a half left until school is done, but the kids are already starting to make plans for what they want to do this summer.  usually this means i'm starting to worry about how to fill up our days, but with the busy schedules we have right now, i have to admit i'm looking forward to slowing down a little bit.

my concern for the summer is how we can be sure not to slow down so much that the kids aren't getting any exercise.  when that happens, the result is usually crazily hyper kids right at the time that i need to start cooking supper.

thankfully, family fun magazine has some really great ideas for encouraging kids to be active this summer.  the magazine has been celebrating its 20th anniversary by offering "badges of fun," giving families the opportunity to earn a badge each month.  the final badge is offered in the may issue:  the "get active" badge. 

we haven't had a chance to try any of these out for ourselves since we've been cursed with a string of rainy days, but i'm pretty certain each one of these is going to be a big hit with all four of my kids.

1) take a hike:  take an egg carton and paint the bottoms of the compartments each a different color.  on the hike, challenge your kids to fill each compartment with a "souvenir" from nature that matches each color.

2) hop on your bike:  for a "bike rodeo," draw a spot on the driveway or sidewalk where each kid must stop and pick up a hula hoop.  toss the hula hoop over a stool before heading back to the "finish line."  whoever makes it back with the fastest time, wins.

3) play in your yard:  set up two buckets about 20 feet apart.  divide into two teams.  each team wants to score by tossing a bean bag into the other team's bucket.  kids can only move when they are not holding a bean bag.  defenders try to knock down or intercept passes.

if you complete any of these suggestions, your family can go online to earn the badge and enter to win great prizes from huffy (the grand prize is four huffy bicycles; 20 readers will win one huffy bike).

i know we are looking forward to the sunny days that have been promised for this week so that we can "get active" and have some fun...


i received a free copy of familyfun magazine and an activity pack to help get us started on these fun activities.  regardless, the thoughts and opinions expressed here are purely my own.