30 Everyday Things to do with Your Children to Promote a Healthy Lifestyle:

Excerpt from www.parents-choice.org

1. Walk together. Pencil it into everyone’s busy schedules - family walking time. Every day/night, or even once or twice a week. 30 minutes to 1 hour. Even if it’s just around the block.
2. If possible, walk your child to or from school. It’s a great time for exercise, and connecting with your child.
3. Play with your child, at the playground or in the backyard, throw and catch, tag, or hopscotch.
4. Go for a bike ride together
5. Build. Whether it be a sand castle or a mud pie. Both are great for sensory integration, and relaxation.
6. Take the stairs whenever possible.
7. Let your children see you exercising.
8. Play basketball, play soccer – any sport!
9. Walk the dog –together.
10. Stretch. Put on some soft, or playful music, and touch your toes, stretch your legs, sit and stretch your spine. Great time to talk to your child. Connect.
11. Go swimming.
12. Wintertime: Build a snowman, have a snowball fight, go sled riding.
13. Rake leaves and jump in the piles.
14. Exercise when doing chores:
a. Wash or put away the dishes. Create an assembly line, turn off the TV and put on the stereo.
b. Fold laundry. Again, turn off the TV. and crank the music. Make it a fun, family time.
c. Sweep or vacuum the house; mop.
15. Have a water balloon fight. Outside, please.
16. Mymo DancingDance – get the whole family moving.
17. Go rollerblading. (Don’t forget the safety equipment)
18. Jump rope.
19. Paint. A fence, an old chair, a box, a picture … get a big piece of flat wood and use your imagination.
20. Carry the groceries, from the car to the house
21. Make a movie. Give your kids the camera, you can be the director, and make up a story or music video – with lots of action.
22. Hold a silly joke telling session. Laughing really hard builds stomach muscles!
23. Give the kids a disposable camera and see how many different types of creatures they can photograph, outside.
24. Create a family scavenger hunt.
25. Go to My Gym.
26. Go to places that require you to walk a lot (zoo, amusement park, mall, etc.)
27. Make exercise a game (who can touch their toes 10 times)?
28. Teach your kids about good nutrition. Cook, and eat, healthy meals together.
29. Carry healthy snacks with you while you are running errands or driving carpool. This keeps you from stopping at the drive-thru for a quick snack.
a. Healthy snacks to take with you during the day: raisins, cutup apples and cheese, yogurt, almonds. Pick snacks that are low in sugar and complex carbohydrates.
30. Grocery shopping tips:
a. Have a healthy snack before grocery shopping. That will curb the appetite and urge to get “impulse” items and you child won't be crying out for something if their tummy is full.
b. Let them push the cart if the store provides the small carts for children. It gives them a sense of contributing and allows them to walk with you.