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How To Be Active During Summer!

Ranked #15,921 in Sports & Recreation, #392,372 overall

Summer is here: Let the fun and games begin!

Summer is a time for relaxing with friends and family. It's the time of year when families generally take their annual vacations since children are out of school.

Summer is also the time when parents aren't as strict about what their children eat. Picnics and barbecues become standard fare. As such, it's important that children get an adequate amount of exercise during summer months.

The question remains: how do parents go about getting their children to exercise without it seeming like a chore?

They let them play.



Photo credit: Steve Thompson / tagsforkids
This image is one of many found on Animated Squids

What you will find below

  1. Entertaining children and adults
  2. Tag
  3. Soccer
  4. Let's play soccer!
  5. Jump Rope
  6. Skipping ropes!
  7. Enjoying the Tree House...
  9. Families can be entertained anywhere
  10. Fabulous Canadian Beaches
  11. Badminton is the game to play
  12. Badminton sets for you and your family...
  13. Sprinkler time
  14. Playground structures
  15. Horseshoes may be an ideal game
  16. Possible horseshoes for your family...
  17. Tending to the lawn and gardens
  18. Tips to look after your garden or yard.
  19. Favorite Summer Activities for Children
  20. My featured lenses
  21. Guest Comments Welcome!

Entertaining children and adults

Games which can be played in your own backyard.


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Tag

Catch me if you can!

It's been around for generations and still holds as much excitement for yourself and your children as the first time you played it.

Running around the yard while trying to avoid the tap on your shoulder which would mean you're "it" is packed with a bunch of laughs, shrieks, and near misses until, eventually, someone does get caught and the fun begins again.

This is one of the best games to play to get the heart racing while entertaining everyone at the same time.

Soccer

Let me score a goal

Set up a net and you're on your way to have a lot of fun. With one goalie, who cares about team players? Everyone fend for yourselves, running and trying to get the ball away from everyone until you score a goal.

The adrenaline will begin to rush through your bodies as you run around the yard, forever trying to retain control of the ball.

Lots of laughter will ensue as long as it doesn't become too competitive to the point the fun disappears.

Let's play soccer!

Oh, oh! Where's the ball?

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Jump Rope

Where's the skipping rope?

You've heard the expression, "Jump Rope for Heart." No kidding! Jumping rope is entertaining especially when you're using a long skipping rope, and other people jump in at the same time as you to jump for as long as they can.

It's fun to see who holds out the longest but it's a major work-out. Water should be nearby for when you've jumped out. You'll definitely need it!

Skipping ropes!

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Enjoying the Tree House...

Or Climbing Trees. Take your pick!

Hanging out in a tree house can be lots of fun. Children may not get as much continual exercise but they will have a lot of fun. In addition, they will get a little work-out from climbing up and down the ladder.


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“Wait a minute! Does it really have to be in the backyard?”

Families can be entertained anywhere

and they can get lots of exercise, too!


What better place can you think of to take your children for a day filled with entertainment than a beach, especially in the early evening hours when there are not as many people around?

My family and I go to the beach whenever we can get an opportunity...but not to laze around, though that has its merits, especially if there's a need to relax from the hectic pace of life.

During our vacation in Prince Edward Island during July, 2009, my children alternated between relaxing on the beach, playing in the sand and walking along the sandy shoreline. Of course, I always enjoyed walking along sandy beaches and could walk for long stretches at a time if not feeling the need to continually watch out for my children.

Needless to say, for me, I'm most comfortable when we're all together and, while visiting Greenwich Beach, PEI, we spent a lot of time hanging out, exploring one part of the beach and then another - until Kelsey, my oldest daughter, managed to climb a sand dune...and proceeded to slide down the dune.

It was hilarious and I laughed until my stomach hurt - also good exercise, by the way.


From there, the enjoyment was contagious; Courtney climbed the dune while Miles and I relaxed at the base. Miles played with his life jacket while I took on the role of photographer.

We have some beautiful moments of that day - all captured on my digital camera - and I did take my turn climbing and sliding down the dune and it was a lot of fun. Admittedly, I had more fun watching my family and recording them because it really was entertaining...and they were getting a great physical workout while making memories to last a lifetime.

Fabulous Canadian Beaches

My family has visited each of these!

My children and I have created fantastic memories from one coast of Canada to the other. Here are a few of the beaches we've enjoyed:

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Penticton, British Columbia

Penticton boasts two beaches; Okanagan Beach and S more...0 points

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Grand Beach, Manitoba

Beautiful...beautiful...beautiful. It truly is gra more...0 points

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Victoria Beach, Manitoba

Not too far from Grand Beach; they are actually ne more...0 points

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Rainbow Falls Beach, Ontario

A beautiful rocky beach which allows you have a pi more...0 points

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Yarmouth Beach, Nova Scotia

Lively sandy beach with many people yet the beach more...0 points

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Cabot Provincial Park Beach, Prince Edward Island

Beautiful red rocky cliffs line one side of the be more...0 points

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Hampton Beach, Prince Edward Island

How far can you walk - when the tide is out - befo more...0 points

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Cavendish Beach, Prince Edward Island

One of the most popular stretches of sandy beaches more...0 points

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Greenwich Beach, Prince Edward Island

It's possible to be in a world of your own, especi more...0 points

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Musgrave Harbour Beach, Newfoundland

Being on the Atlantic coast of Canada, it is colde more...0 points

Badminton is the game to play

Frisbee is a good alternative

Whether you try to knock the birdie at the feet of your opponent or keep the birdie in the air, this provides a great form of exercise and is enjoyable as long as the wind isn't strong.

If the winds are too strong, pull out a Frisbee and you'll have to run greater distances to retrieve it, thus increasing your heart rate.

Badminton sets for you and your family...

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Sprinkler time

Fun in the sun

Children love the water and, when running through the sprinkler on warm summer days, they get the opportunity to cool off, have fun, and get some exercise.

Add a large family-sized trampoline and the fun and exercise doubles as the sprinkler continues to spray them and whoever is on the trampoline with them.


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Playground structures

The bigger, the better

You may not think much of it but your children will get a lot of exercise while having a lot of fun playing in tunnels, sliding, swinging, and climbing inside of playground structures.

**Just be sure the equipment is in a shaded area and isn't so hot it will burn your children.**

Horseshoes may be an ideal game

But, perhaps, lawn darts is your preference

If there is an area of your backyard which isn't highly visible to the public and has low traffic most times, it may be an ideal spot to set up a game of lawn darts or horse shoes. Regardless of whether the sun is shining or there is a light mist, these games can be enjoyed.

Possible horseshoes for your family...

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Tending to the lawn and gardens

Mowing, raking and gardening incorporates great abdominal exercise.

The smell of freshly mowed grass is one that will always tantalize my senses; I can't explain why but I love the smell of grass and trees.

During the summer of 2009, I had the rare pleasure of mowing grass and raking the lawn a couple of days later. I had forgotten how great of a work-out it was, though I didn't strain one muscle in my body. My two younger children also helped - Courtney trimmed around the edges of the house while Miles started pushing the wheelbarrow around to collect the grass I was raking. We had a wonderful experience and we, literally, did not venture more than 20 feet into the backyard.

Being productive is wonderful; after all, grass needs to be cut frequently. It's a greater blessing when such moments can be enjoyed with my children.

Tips to look after your garden or yard.

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Favorite Summer Activities for Children

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Visiting the zoo

Children love animals. What better place to take t more...2 points

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Visiting the beach

Children love to visit beaches, especially when th more...1 point

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Going on picnics

Children love picnics as long as there aren't too more...1 point

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Boating

Isn't it lovely to be out in boat feeling the wind more...1 point

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Flying kites

When the wind is just right, children and adults e more...1 point

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Visiting amusement parks

Children find much entertainment at amusement park more...0 points

My featured lenses

It's worth your while to check these out if you plan to visit Canada or want to, possibly, learn about a few new places in your home country. After all, many of the places I have visited would, likely, still be unknown to me if I didn't hear about favorite travel destinations from some friends over the years.
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Norma_Budden

Summer - what can I say? I love it!
Time to visit the beach, to travel and explore, to have barbecues and sit beside a fire.
My camera, especially, enjoys... more »

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