We are trying hard this summer to stay active in various ways. I walk with friends during my lunch break, and the kids play during the day at the Boys & Girls Club. After work, we go to the pool for a couple of hours. I take along shampoo, soap and pajamas, so they are ready for bed (and plenty tired) by the time we get home!

We try to go on day hikes every weekend, or at least somewhere like the zoo, where you have to walk around!  I also play soccer, hide easter eggs, or take a walk with my toddler in the evenings after work.

For our summer fun our local library offers late hours on Tuesday and Thursdays. My daughter and I take walks from our house to the library this way we exercise our bodies as well as our Minds! She is so excited when it comes to Tuesday and Thursday and I am happy she is reading, not to mention the walks we take too!!!

Every morning and every evening my 3-year old rides his bike while I walk/run beside him a mile. He loves it when I have to run to keep up with him. If we have time, we do 2 miles. He makes motorcycle sounds while he pedals. That bike was the best $20 I ever spent!!! I got it at a yard sale, and it had training wheels and a bell already on it!

We are trying to do all we can this summer to stay fit. We have a 4 year old and she keeps us pretty busy. We also have a pool in our neighborhood and we try to go there and she can swim and we try to do water walking so we can all have fun and get fit!

My four-year old son and I "dance " every morning to get our blood moving, and then spend the day reading books, building things using items from our plastic and paper recycling bins and cooling off with water fights in our easy-set pool.

Our family has been very active this summer. We went to the mountains and did alot of walking, canoeing, and hiking. Most days at home were spent swimming. Relay races and playing tag in the pool were lots of fun, and the kids were also worn out by the end of the day. At home I would include the kids house cleaning by everybody getting barefooted and giving them diapers wipes, (one under each foot) cranking up the music and everyone would ice skate. By the time we were done the floors were clean and we had a GREAT time. Healthy veggies from the garden are also hit. No soda is a must, white milk rules!

WE ARE A FAMILY OF 4, THE BOYS ARE 4 AND 2.
WE PLAY OUTSIDE ON THE PLAYSET, SWINGING,CLIMBING AND SLIDING.
WE TAKE TURNS PUSHING THE BOYS IN THE DOUBLE STROLLER AND THEY DO SOME WALKING. WE SWIM AT THE NEIGHBORHOOD POOL.
THE BOYS PLAY IN THE PLAYROOM, WHILE MOMMY WORKS OUT AT THE GYM, 2-3 DAYS A WEEK. DADDY PARKS IN THE BACK LOT AT WORK, AND GETS IN MORE WALKING.WE SAVE JUMPING AT "MONKEY JOES" ON RAINY DAYS. WE'RE TRYING TO EAT MORE FRUITS AND VEGGIES FROM THE LOCAL FARMER'S MARKET. AND OF COURSE, WE ALL DRINK MILK.

My kids have been spending time at my parents while i work, they play outside and help my dad w/ his farm animals, and we have days when we have no tv till after dinner. Also we bought a pool big enough for them to play around in, they'll do that all day if i let them.

I'm a homeschooling mom so I'm always looking for ways to keep the kids motivated (combining learning, fitness, and fun!). Here are 10 ideas:

1. Backyard Treasure Hunt~ the kids get to practice reading instructions and they get to run around the backyard (gym class).

2. Hula Hoop~ Jumping while counting along (math).

3. Frisbee~ The kids throw the frisbee around to one another, while going through the alphabet and naming something that starts with each letter whenever they catch the frisbee.

4. Hopscotch~ This is great indoors or out! We have a large checkered rug in our foyer and they jump from color to color . It's a good rainy day activity.

5. Tag You're It~ Can be done indoors or outdoors.

6. Washing the Car~ The kids love to help and in the process have a water fight.

7. Create an Exercise Video~ My kids LOVE seeing themselves on video, so they're eager to jump around and make silly faces while we videotape them. Afterwards they're very excited to watch their "movie".

8. Laurie Berkner Band~ Her music is so much fun! We pop in one of her videos and all of us dance.

9. Twister~ A classic game the whole family can play. Small children learn their colors.

10. Riding Bikes~ The kids ride bikes while the parent walks/jogs alongside.

Gosh, I hope I win! I would love a Wii!!!!

me and my kids have every other weekend where we have all the kids in the neighborhood race on feet, by bike , and do 1 legged races and group football . every age from toddler to 14 yrs of age running down our little street.

Every weekend we swim and garden outside , as a family ! everyday after my oldest gets out of school , we have "family club Time "where we crank the tunes and jam out to oldies and radio disney and hip hop , to r&B, on xm on our cable channels !!!! We jam out and clean at the same time !!!

Then in the evenings we take my toddlers electric camero and walk our block and let her drive!!!!

we love it and we are happier for it !

My son and I do the Wii Active together. the rule is is that he has to do the wii with me before he plays videogames.

My husband and I enjoyed an active lifestyle before we had kids. We are still able to stay fit, but now it takes some creativity to keep motivated and inspired. We have two boys, one is two and the other is nine months. They are always on the go and usually in separate directions. These are the tips we have for keeping our family healthy and fit:
1. We always eat dinner together and model healthy food choices for our children.
2. Allowing our two-year-old to help decide what activity we will do after dinner (walking, strolling, jumping, etc…) makes him more likely to enjoy it and stick with it.
3. We use our pool for more than just swimming. We sit on the stairs and kick our feet as fast as we can and also play ring-around-the-rosy holding hands with the baby in his float.
4. Both our boys love chasing and being chased. Our two-year-old will crawl to give his brother somebody to “chase”
5. Both boys make good weights. Lifting them up 10-20 times above my head gives them one-on-one attention and I get a good workout too!
6. My two-year-old loves being outside and helping mom. During his brother’s morning nap we usually clean up the yard for 30 minutes. We make a game out of tossing pinecones in the yard waste bin and running to find the next one.
7. Lastly, we all try to get enough sleep so we can get up and do it all over again!

This summer my family has discovered disc golf. It gives us a fun way to exercise and spend time together, gets us outdoors to enjoy nature, and we can make it fit into our schedule as long as it doesn't rain. Last but not least, it appeals to my frugal side because after buying 1 or 2 discs for each family member at a local sports re-sale shop (about $15 total per person), it's completely free to play! There are several different courses in the Triangle area and we try a new one every few weeks for a change of scenery and new adventures.

My fiance and I have decided to really get in shape this summer!

<strong>On weekdays</strong>, I work late (until 8PM), but when I get home, we go for a <em>run/walk</em> while talking about our days. It's become part of our routine, so we don't even have to think about it, just do it!

<strong>On weekends</strong>, we walk about a mile to the park, where we <em>swing, play basketball, or play tennis</em> (I hit a lot of "home runs", but I'm getting better!).

And on <strong>Sunday</strong>, we use our News and Observer coupons and <em>bike</em> to Rite Aid, Walgreens, and CVS to get their weekly deals. We usually get all hot and sweaty, but we don't even notice because we're thinking about all the free stuff we're getting.

So that's about it. I really hope I win, I just found out about Shamrock milk this spring and like it a lot.

Invite your neighbors and friends to create your own Field Day in the yard.  Use items you already have in your home or can obtain easily.  Set up activities such as water balloon toss, sack races, ring toss, capture the flag, Hula Hoop marathon, obstacle course, jump rope run, and 50 yard dash.  

If the weather is REALLY hot like it gets in North Carolina summers, include more water activities.   A wet-sponge throw is fun, or a sprinkler run.   If you have the materials ready you can make this a once a week event!  Enjoy a barbeque afterwards with parents, if you like.

We would love to win a Wii!

Our life is naturally active. As soon as we've breakfasted, we all go outside and find something to do-- jumping on the trampoline, playing on the climber, practicing skateboarding, or even weeding the garden. As a rule, no one plays inside before 11 am. We really try to take advantage of the cooler mornings.

Late afternoon -- after the youngest wakens from her nap we almost always head to the pool. My two sons are on the swim team, but they'd want to be at the pool regardless.

We do talk about the importance of using our bodies and treating them well with good rest, food, and activity, but we never talk about doing something just for the sake of exercising. We want activity to be part of the natural part of having fun, so it is second nature, vs. one more thing to schedule.

we recently moved to the mountains where there is nothing but opportunity to be active. i found a hiking/ climbing area called granite city where we all love to play and hike and explore. we also take a walk around the lake after dinner every evening, and we take any chance we can get to check out a new waterfall. lucky for us it's not as hot as it was in Raleigh so there is a shorter period of time where it's too hot to be in the sun (unless it's river or waterfall related and then the splashes of water make it quite refreshing and enjoyable) anyone needing a break from the heat, i can only recommend coming to the mountains to cool off and play in nature!

We dance and we clean. Everyone participates in our regular dance-offs. If you're not performing, you're a judge and no one ever gets less than a "woo-hoo!" Everyone also participates in our cleaning races that keep us moving. We set the timer for 15 minutes and we race to see who can finish quickest. My 4 year old's favorite version of this is our bag race, where he and his sister race to see who can fill their paper bag with the most things that need to be put away. Just 2 little ways we put movement into our everyday lives.

I keep my 21 month old daughter active by taking her:

1. swimming at the neighborhood pool

2. to the beach

3. to a playground at a local park

4. to story time at the library every Wednesday

5. grocery shopping

6. outside the house to draw with sidewalk chalk or blow bubbles

and of course she has lots of toys that she enjoys playing with like Little People and Weebles. I keep her active and in return she keeps me active as well!

I know many moms have mentioned dancing to music. We really enjoy this too. For moms with really little ones (like mine) holding them while you dance is fun for everybody. We especially like dancing to "Shake your Booty" and "YMCA" My little ones also like dancing to nursery rhymes with movements such as "Head, Shoulders, Knees, & Toes" "The Wheels on the Bus" and "Itsy, Bitsy, Spider"

Our kids are now young adults, but over the years I've always read and heard that the most influential thing a parent can do to encourage healthy habits is to model them personally, particularly the parent of the same gender as the child. So I've made sure I'm exercising, maintaining a healthy weight, and eating healthy meals and snacks myself, plus we've encouraged our daughters' involvement in team sports from their earliest pre-school-age teams to their current college age opportunities. Osteoporosis is very prevalent in my family, so I've pointed to my older family members and reiterated the importance of calcium consumption and weight bearing exercises continually for our children over the years. We consume a lot of dairy products in our home!

Ever since our 9 year old went to camp his younger brother has wanted to have our own camp...so we have a schedule of...
hiking around the yard...playing badminton (really keeps them on the move), basketball, kickball,soccer, and baseball. Their excitement has not only kept them off of the couch but has also picked up our level of excercise.
On rainy days we have turned cleaning a house into a game that both boys love. We have them move things out of the way when cleaning but with their competitive side we see who can do it the quickest. When things need to go to another area of the house for proper placement we start two piles and then run relay races to see who can put away their pile first. They are getting a great workout and being of great assistance without realizing it. Wii really have been having a ball!

Instead of Saturday morning cartoons, we went to the gym with our 2 young daughters and swam at the indoor pool as a family.

We have 2 boys, ages 4 and 2, so life is naturally busy and active. I love the outdoors, and try to incorporate that as much as possible into our lifestyle. Things that we do as a family during summer:
-take walks and bike rides around a loop in our neighborhood in late evening
-walk/ride bikes to the neighborhood pool instead of drive
-slip-n-slide in the yard
-water balloon fights outside
-wash our cars
On rainy days, I like to go to JumpZone or Marbles. Sometimes we just play hide-n-seek or hit balloons in the house.
I am pregnant with our third boy, so I get up early every morning at 6am to speed walk for exercise. Sometimes, my husband will get up early and ride his bike through the neighborhood for exercise.

Hi, We have 3 kids ages 16 yo, 11 yo and 7 yo. My husband and I work daily. When we come home from work our ritual has been eat dinner every evening together. We share thoughts, feelings, ideas, and comments that come about while we are away. Every Wednesday is library day for our family. Every Thursday is breakfast night for dinner. We schedule swim dates, movie dates, beach dates, and long weekend dates every evening on Sundays for the week ahead. My husband and I eat out alone once a week which is on Fridays since I am off. We take nature walks after dinner, or play a monopoly. TV is scheduled throughout the day for 2 hours only and then its reading or writing in journals.

Thanks.

Living my life as a Proverbs 31 woman

www.tangelasmithwilliams.com

If I can just get my girls outside, the activity & fun happens. Having things in your yard like a swingset, a wagon, things to push or ride gets them going. If nothing else, blow bubbles. Before I know it we are all 4 outside & taking a walk or working in the garden. There's something about being outside that makes you want to stay ---- until the mosquitos start biting!

At our house we drop everything and dance! We crank up the radio and do our best freestyle moves. It's something even our 1-year-old can join in on, and we love sharing our favorite music with one another.

Mom to Jude

Get the family up after dinner and get them walking, also use this as a time to get the dog up and walking also. It is really hard to get the family up after dinner so I have to bribe them with other non food treats for after we get back.

My goodness, you definitely deserve a Wii!! You are definitely busy!

 I took my son out of pre-school for the summer (I have my own business and so have some flexibility) and have been looking for educational activities -- wanted to open up his world without breaking the wallet.

 I took you Hopscotch idea and added a twist. My son is four and a half and really loves numbers. He is also incredibly active, so anything with running, jumping, climbing, and more running is always good.

 I made two cloth cubes with the numbers one through four on four sides, leaving two sides blank (in hind sight I should have put a zero on those sides). One cube is blue with red numbers and the other is yellow with black numbers (we are into super hero colors). 

 With either sidewalk chalk or the numerous clay-like rocks in our yard, we draw a design of my son's choosing of nine squares each ascribed a number one through eight and the last a star. For our purposes, the squares are generally not attached and are a reasonable jump-length apart.(I use nine squares because my son can count to twelve -- eight squares with numbers, four highest on the cube).

The rules of the game are to first assign one die as the "and" and the other as "take away." We throw the dice in the air and whichever lands closest to my son is the one we start with. He then throws the starter die on the design. The die and where it lands determines his jumps. If we start with the "and" die and it lands on the number two with the die showing the number six, he must tell me what six and two makes. Once he comes up with the answer, he jumps to the number eight square (leaping and jumping on all preceeding numbers as he goes). The next player does the same (usually it's me -- whew! gasp! truly, it gets the heart going).

On the next round you must use the other die. Same actions except you must "take away" the "land" (the square where the die lands) from the die number (switch the numbers when necessary. We always use the larger from the smaller). Once he answers the correct number he must jump back that many squares.

The game continues until a player reaches the star (for us, any number over twelve).

 FYI -- the blank sides of the dice are equal to zero.

Upon typing out our game, I think it sounds complicated, but my son helped think it up and grasped the concept quite easily.

I do have to admit, he is a much better jumper than I am. I try not to cheat by just stepping and have found that if I jump and run as much as he does ... I really have no need for an aerobics class ever again. Now I take pilates for a break!!

As for milk, he will only have white milk on cereal, or with homemade bake goods, or a peanut butter and jelly sandwich made with whole wheat bread. The fun thing is, it's true for our entire family. And since I love to bake, we drink a lot of milk -- but don't ask my son if he drinks a lot of milk because he'll tell you he "only drink chocolte milk; clear milk is for cookin' and eatin' the 'tings' ya cook."

In a word, milk is for "everything."

Our family stays busy and active with our family olympics. My boys are 16 and 10 so we have to be creative in keeping them busy and active. Our 16 year old has battled for years with cancer and chemo effects on his heart so we keep him busy to strengthen his heart. Our olympics have different individual and team events, we choose 3-4 each week, swimming, diving, jumping, running, bike races or tricks, sit ups, jumping jacks, basketball- the list goes on and on. We judge each other on a 10 point scale and the winners get to choose the family activities. First place gets to choose the family dinner that night, skips a chore of their choice and gets to plan the events for the next olympics. Second place gets to choose the dvd movie and snack for our family movie night. This works in many ways...... no fighting to choose what we will watch and have for dinner while spending quality family time with our kids. We as parents are the real winners!!

I have a 5yr old son and 2yr old daughter who have very active imaginations. I have learned that the best ways to keep them interested in exercising is to show plenty of enthusiasm myself for the activities and involve imaginary play. For instance, when my husband and I take the kids to the local park, which has a track, we pretend that we are in the Olympics and we are running a marathon. We walk, jog, and run around the track while doing "commentating" for each other. My husband and son are big sports watchers so this comes easy for them. My daughter just loves to see that the rest of us are having fun and she follows suit. My husband pretends he is the hero and he has come to save her from Swiper the Fox-she loves Dora. When we model pleasure from the activities then we teach them that exercise isn't a chore but fun. Also I have a rule for myself that if I eat something fattening I have to follow it with a calorie burning chore like cleaning baseboards or windows and pulling out the beds to vacuum and dust under them. Let me tell ya that is a strong discourager to gourge myself on Edy's. LOL!

We put in a garden in the backyard and are constantly tending it. With a two year old, I really have to move fast to get everything watered and weeded. He mostly likes playing with the hose and picking strawberries.

When it is too hot outside, we have "bubble wrap dance parties." I lay out a few sheets of bubble wrap on the floor and we take turns jumping on it and running around the kitchen.

My wife and I have a three year old boy, and we try to keep him active by committing to two outdoor/physical activities a day. One that we can participate in, like walks and going to the pool. And one that he can do with his friends, like a playground or one of the numerous jump houses. We also have him enrolled in The Little Gym for gymnastics and they occasionally have Friday nights where they do a Parent Escape night where they are there till 11PM so we can catch a movie and peaceful dinner.

The key for our family is to start the day being active. My two young sons like to "race" me in my car as I leave the house to go to work... lining a Big Wheel or bike along Dad in his running shoes on the sidewalk to see who can win the race to the neighbor's mailbox. Once I speed away, they race back to our own mailbox. The result is everyone outside, having fun and breathing the fresh air first thing in the morning. Can't think of a better way to start the day!

My son William and I are avid bikers, and we enjoy increasing our mileage on the American Tobacco Trail near our home on Apex as often as we can. We make it a family affair, and often get our friends and their kids to join us. The real motivation? The healthy snacks we bring along, then the occasional ice cream treat after we hit the 10 mile mark.

All of the above, in this lovely NC heat, really helps William (and his parents!) burn calories, stay safe on a trail that's under cover, and very well maintained by our local counties.

Cheers for safe family biking for fitness in our lovely neck of the woods!

My kids are young adults and I am a high school guidance counselor. This summer I joined the Rex Wellness Center and have really enjoyed the mid-morning water aerobics classes. I have also started going back in the afternoons to enjoy some cycling. It has been a great way to get out of the house, meet new people, and work on getting back in shape.

We are all enjoying grandma's large, inground pool - playing marco polo, relay races, etc.

My husband and I are on a walking program as well.

My son participates in basketball (daily) as well as basketball camps (weekly). My husband and I walk through the neighborhood on the evening. I even received a text from my son while in the grocery store. He stated that he wanted the milk with the blue top!! (1% milk) He said that he saw in a magazine that it was less fat and better for you so he wanted to give it a try. No more whole milk................1% (cereal, coffee, recipes, etc.)

I run, walk, and swim a lot. I also plan of getting a bike around Christmas time. The Raleigh public swimming pools are one of the cheapest forms of family entertainment all year round, but especially in the blazing heat of the summer.

I have purchased a badmitton set and challenged my family to a health competition of guys against the girls. We get out and play 2-3 times a week now and we're all loving it!

I have purchased a badmitton set and challenged my family to a healthy competition of guys against the girls. We get out and play 2-3 times a week now and we're all loving it!

Well, gosh. We don't do anything quite as exciting and entertaining as some of the posts I've read above. None of the kids like this NC heat or the gnats that have invaded our yard so we don't spend nearly as much time outside as we should. However, they do run all through the house pretending to be Star Wars or Transformer fighters, or NASCAR racers. Because they are playing pretend and are up and active, I accept and embrace the noise that 3 VERY loud little boys (8, 6 & 4) and 1 VERY loud little girl (2) make. We NEED this Wii like nobody's business :-)

OH!  And we go through 8 gallons of milk a week, so the coupons would help our grocery bill in a big way.

Thank you!!!

My 13 year old daughter is in year round school and I have a fulltime job, so we have a busy schedule almost all summer. I try to live a healthy lifestyle and promote wellness on a day to day basis. I do this in many different ways: I encourage her to take walks with me after dinner with our 2 dogs. I purchased a membership to the YMCA and have attended Yoga classes with her several times. I try to keep healthy food and snacks in my house and limit our eating out. I work out , go to the gym or take long walks everyday. I hope that by living a healthy lifestyle, I set a good example for my daughter and she will incorporate healthy living into her life as an adult and a as a Mom! As a single mom, it is really important for me to be a good role model for my daughter (to lead by example) and instill healthy habits she will carry on through her life.

With school out, I am just thankful for the time to actually get out and be active.  I am starting to introduce my daughter to new sports to see which one she takes a fancy too.  I think volleyball is her thing.  With the two of us playing together, it is more about just getting out and having fun instead of it being a competition.  We get to bond as well as be active.

My family has taken up the hobby of Geocaching. Geocaching is a sophisticated treasure hunt of sorts. It is done with the use of a handheld GPS. The great thing about it is that after than initial investment it involves free, year round, all outdoor fun. We get our coordinates and off we go. Geocaching gets us out walking and hiking in small and big parks along with places like the American Tobacco Trail and the Cary Greenway. It is a great way to get a lot of excercise without even realizing that's what you are doing. Geocaching also can take you to all kinds of places you didn't know exsisted which adds to the fun. Kids love finding the caches and trading something they have brought along for something that is in the cache. It appeals to everyone young and old-great for the whole family!

I get to keep my grandchildren (ages 5 and 1) on Wednesdays and Thursdays.  We always  find something active to do: playing at the park or yard, blowing bubbles, playing basketball or just tossing a ball around, riding bikes and/or pushing toddler toys in the neighborhood, splashing in the kiddie pool.  TV and/or  video time is limited to 30 minutes a day.  On rainy days, we try Marbles Museum, Monkey Joes, Planet Child, the library's story time, or in-door fun, e.g., laundry basket basketball.  My 5-year-old likes to help make dinner and has learned about healthy foods but has actually applied more from "modeling" by adults - asking to eat fruit and vegetables after he has seen me enjoy them so much.  All the activity is a good way for me to stay fit, too!

No one in my home is really great about staying fit and excerising. So, I guess you can say that I have tricked them into it. I purchsed one of those very large exercise balls and we take turns seeing who can sit on it the longest with out touching the floor. We do this about every other day. This works the abdominal muscles and improves balance and coordination. It usually leads us into trying other things like touching our toes or who can do the most leg lifts or push ups. When the microwave is on we roatate our arms in little circles and see who can do it the whole time the microwave cooks. THey have no idea they are working on their upper arms' strength and toning. I have also started using the excuse of " I don't want to get the car dented" and parking far away from the doors of the places we shop. Teenagers will usually do just the opposite of what you want them to, so by never using the word exercise, and just making small changes - that I can benefit from too - they really are exercising!

Now that summer baseball is over, the family has tried different activities to stay fit. I have a teenage daughter and 12-year old son. We have discovered our local par-3 golf course the last month or so and have visited a couple times a week at least. We walk the course and play the 18 holes. My son goes even more often with friends! The family has had a great time and all of us have improved greatly, although my husband is a great golfer already. We have had a lot of talk-time with each child and improved our lifestyle. It has gotten our family moving and talking. It's great and FUN too! Everyone benefits!!

Now that summer baseball is over, the family has tried different activities to stay fit. I have a teenage daughter and 12-year old son. We have discovered our local par-3 golf course the last month or so and have visited a couple times a week at least. We walk the course and play the 18 holes. My son goes even more often with friends! The family has had a great time and all of us have improved greatly, although my husband is a great golfer already. We have had a lot of talk-time with each child and improved our lifestyle. It has gotten our family moving and talking. It's great exercise and FUN too! Everyone benefits!!

I have a 1 year old and a 3 year old. We are always dancing and playing. It is a great way to keep fit, bond with my children and have fun at the same time. We dance to oldies, new stuff, pop, R&B, but lately with Michael Jackson's passing we've been jamming to his music. So come on Triangle let's rock away those pounds.

We live in Cary and find alot to do. We go for walks on the greenway, go bowling, swimming and we cook special meals together that are more healthy. Annette

We try very hard to stay active - we seem to race to do ANYTHING! going up the stairs, checking the mail, taking out the trash, putting on PJ's - it's always a race and my four year old ALWAYS seems to win.

When we aren't racing we are playing on the trampoline! That does seem to be the best workout.

We have played WII one time at christmas when a family member received  one. My oldest daughter was 5 ,now 6 and liked playing the bowling and baseball. I don't hear the end of how much fun that was but unfortunatelly can't afford one.Since we don't have a Wii, we all go outside in the front and throw big balls around. I have a 20 month old who loves to chase these huge balls. We run around our yard and swing. My daughters play ring around the rosie and both enjoy "we all fall down".Other times we just run in the yard and squirt each other with water guns.We don't have a pool but have access to one occasionally and we enjoy getting in the pool and try to teach our kids how to swim.We also take our kids to a church parking lot to ride bikes and occasionally walk to the post office or recycle area  as a family stopping and talking to our neighbors. Recently they even gave us some of their vegatables from their garden. The kids loved playing on their playground equipment.  Ocassionally my oldest will try to hula hoop but to no avail, it falls to the floor, but she gets an "A" for effort. She also skates around the house with her skates that attach over the shoes,I guess I passed that down somewhere in my genes,I loved skating.I can't ever get her to take them off either...We do turn the tv off while eatting and thankgoodness my daughters enjoy brocolli with cheese ,beans and rice, mac and cheese,pudding,yogurt and an assortment of fruits,both chocolate and plain milk.Last but not least we all like to dance together, and since I am an older mom ,they happen to like dancing to disco...KC and the sunshine band anyone?  

We have our 3 yr old son enrolled in indoor soccer and his 5 yr old sister in karate. She also takes ballet. My husband and I just bought bikes so we can take the kids to Falls Lake Dam and bike ride with them while they are learning. (no cars & flat surface). We did a spur of the moment (3pm in the afternoon) overnight camping trip as a test run to see how the kids would do. Awesome! We are definitely not active enough and a Wii would go a long way in helping our efforts. We have two more kids (adopting) on the way, so the more fun family activities we can do with them, they better for all.

One word - pool.

Our family helped organize a 5K this spring (to benefit the NC food bank) and we all participated in the race as well. It was great to have a goal that we could all work toward. The race was a huge success (we raised $2,000 and 5,550 lbs. of food) so we are thrilled to do it again this spring. That means we have another goal to keep us moving together. We go for walks and runs together. We keep it fun by mixing it up- riding bikes or kicking a ball as we go. If we are going to walk we bring a trash bag with us and pick up litter along the way to help keep our neighborhood beautiful too.
There are other ways we stay active. We live close enough to school so, instead of driving, we walk or ride our bikes. We are also involved as a family in basketball and volleyball- each of us play and cheer each other on. We do yoga and love to challenge each other to try new poses or to hold a pose longer. Part of the fun is that we keep it interesting by participating in a lot of physical activities, not just one.

As my husband works a lot, it is just the baby and me most of the time. We love to explore the neighborhood in the stroller in the mornings before it gets too hot, and spend time at the park in the evenings before bedtime. It keeps us active and lets my little guy explore the world around him!

As my husband works a lot, it is just the baby and me most of the time. We love to explore the neighborhood in the stroller in the mornings before it gets too hot, and spend time at the park in the evenings before bedtime. It keeps us active and lets my little guy explore the world around him!

Last year I signed up my son, who had just turned 5, for a "Kids in Training" triathlon. It was the best move I have made for our family fitness! His ability to complete the triathlon made me face my fears (distance swimming) and sign up for my first tri this year. I am now working on training with him for this years Kids in Training triathlon & they have added a new component--beginner adult!
We have always been an active family, but this gives us goals to work toward. The encouragement the children get & the sense of accomplishment is a wonderful motivator to keep them coming back race after race & year after year. My 4 yr old can't wait until he can compete next year. He is "in training" & the 2 yr old is running after both of them.
My husband has also been inspired to get back on his bike after a little hiatus!

We canceled our cable for the summer and never got a converter box. It's amazing how much more time we spend outside doing things because there is no TV to resort to. Our three year-old son loves to join us in helping around the yard, playing in the pool, exploring at a nearby creek, going to parks and playgrounds, and going for family walks. We also love to spend Thursday evenings at Weaver Street Market's After Hours in Carrboro, where we eat a healthy dinner and then dance until the band plays no more. Getting out in the early mornings and in the evenings lets us play without the harsh heat of the day.

It is essential that Mom takes time for herself everyday to exercise, and or have "peace" moments. This makes Mom emotionially and physically healthy and makes the family function smoothly. It is the old saying, " when Mama's happy............."

My children participated in a swim team at a nearby pool. Practices were 3 days a week, and we often went swimming on at least 2 other days. We often go to an area mall or store and walk around. My daughter tends to enjoy it more than my son, but he's a good sport about it. On the weekend, we try to find a family oriented event to do, and get in plenty of walking.  Our goal is to keep moving!

Instead of taking our annual 2 week summer trip out of state, this summer we purchased an above ground pool. Weather allowing, it gets used everyday. Not only by our own kids, a lot of the neighborhood kids are getting plenty of swim time now too!

Obstacle courses or family field days are a great way to get everyone having quality family time together as well as being active as a whole. We love being outdoors as a family anyways so we like to hike, camp, kayak and just about anything else that gets us outside and having fun. Now if we could just keep the mosquitoes and fire ants away from us that would be even better.

Health is a big concern for me and my family. Fitness and good nutrition are a part of that, which means lots of daily calcium for me, a middle aged woman, and for my teenage daughter. Besides the nutrition, we need daily exercise to help balance our age-related wacked-out hormones. So this summer my daughter and I decided it would be fun to follow a 12-week “get fit” training routine outlined in Prevention magazine. The beauty of it is that it provides daily time together for mom and teenager to connect and communicate, share stories and ideas, and stay in touch with each other while getting fit. The daily walking and running together is the excuse which allows the important dedicated talking time. A whole hour a day with one’s teenager? What an unbelieveable luxury that will never happen again. Though she is often running up ahead of me, or walking alongside my “run”, we connect over the course of the daily exercise routine. Now on week number eight, I am thankful everyday that my joints have held up, and that we found an excuse to spend time together.

I have two boys (6 and 3) which are very high energy, so getting them outside and burning off energy is a must.

We are outside at least three times a day....
In the morning, after breakfast -
We clean up after breakfast and then the boys are responsible for running around and picking up their toys. The faster they get their stuff picked up, the faster we go outside.
Outside - we play basketball, ride bikes, play games like pretending to be different kind of animals, we play hopscotch, etc.

Then after lunch - again after we clean up and straighten up the house
If it is warm enough, we go in the pool. If not, we go and play various games outsides.

Then after dinner - again after we clean up and straighten up the house, with Daddy home, we all for a very long walk. They love the walk because we do various activities like, counting how many squirrels we see, how many different colored flowers we can find, etc

If it rains - we play indoor games like "Simon says", "Red light, green light, hide and seek, and "jumping gym class" on the V-Tech.

Thank you so much for the chance

We work hard to stay active ! We spend time most days during the summer at the pool so my three children have plenty of exercise. We have started playing board games as a family rather than watching TV in the evenings. I am training for a marathon, so I try to have my children and hubby walk with me either early in the morning, or after dinner. My son is not a fan of physical activity, so we have to find ways to keep him active without him thinking it is exercise! Typically this involves hiking or swimming in the pool or lake.

The pool and the beach keep us active this summer. My 6 year old son and 11 month old daughter love the outdoor fun!
Nursing my daughter is the greatest and healthiest choice I can make for us both!! As a busy mom I take time for myself by doing pilates twice a week. Such a wonderful escape!!
My son loves any sport and enjoys playing indoors and outdoors - hockey, tennis, golf, soccer, basketball and he will begin fall baseball next month! He will stay with my dad next week and play golf until his heart is content.
My husband exercises at the gym every night after work - and our family would love to have a wii at home to begin a family workout program that we can all enjoy together! This would be a great Birthday present for my husband!!
Enjoying each day this summer - before school starts - and hopefully instilling in my children the value of being healthy and active!

We take a walk to the park and play for a few hours after dinner. Then My youngest & I walk after he gets on the bus we walk around the neighborhood.

Summer is best time to keep the kids fit. My oldest teenager just spent 2 weeks on a Navajo reservation building outhouses in 100-degree heat. Seriously! And participating in a Navajo sweat lodge (just what it sounds like-- they bring a small space up to 150 degrees using heated rocks, and buckets of sweat just pour off your body) left him feeling purified & light. He and younger teenage sister are now camp counselors, playing sports with bunches of younger children ages 6-9. My youngest is away at camp right now, playing sports & sailing. Husband swims year-round. But I'm still struggling to find the right combo of fun, but genuine, fitness program that I'll actually stick with. Walking our new dog has been a godsend, but not nearly enough. Typical mom, I guess. Everyone's needs are met but mine.

As long as weather is permitting, we go outside everyday. We spend between 30 minutes to an hour riding bikes or scooters, taking our dog on a walk, going to parks/playgrounds, practicing soccer/baseball, or just playing outside (running around, waterguns/sprinklers, catching bugs). If the weather is not nice, we sometimes go out to places like jump houses, rollerskating, or museums (don't forget to use your N&O or local magazine coupons)---all of these places keep you on the move. Playdates give the kids much needed exercise, socialization, and are so much fun for both the kids and the parents. The Wii and Wii Fit would be another terrific way to get the entire family fit while staying in the comforts of your own home. If you make it a routine to do something everyday, exercise becomes easy. By exercising, your family will feel better, sleep better, and be healthy!

As long as weather is permitting, we go outside everyday. We spend between 30 minutes to an hour riding bikes or scooters, taking our dog on a walk, going to parks/playgrounds, practicing soccer/baseball, or just playing outside (running around, waterguns/sprinklers, catching bugs). If the weather is not nice, we sometimes go out to places like jump houses, rollerskating, or museums (don't forget to use your N&O or local magazine coupons)---all of these places keep you on the move. Playdates give the kids much needed exercise, socialization, and are so much fun for both the kids and the parents. The Wii and Wii Fit would be another terrific way to get the entire family fit while staying in the comforts of your own home. If you make it a routine to do something everyday, exercise becomes easy. By exercising, your family will feel better, sleep better, and be healthy!

My 8 year old is a big sports nut so I keep him enrolled in sports year round to keep him active. This summer we are braving the heat of the community center gymnasiums while he plays basketball and in a few weeks he'll be back on the soccer field. We are frequently outdoors together getting in extra practice B4 the next big game or in the yard coming up with some new twist to a traditional sport. Water balloon or water gun fights are always a big hit on hot days and the pool is also a favorite spot to be on the weekends. I am a member of Curves gym and try to get a workout in during lunch to get myself up and away from my desk at work. I also keep myself moving by doing yard work but unfortunately haven't been successful getting my 8 year old to help with that yet. Maybe in a few years :>)
Boy how exciting it would be to win and have another activity we could do together!

In the mornings, I put my 2 and 3 year old in the double jogger and take mommy out for exercise and we talk about the importance of exercise, so they want to exercise. In the evenings before or after dinner my husband or I take them for a tricycle ride down to and then around the cul de sac beside us. Other evenings we get our favorite baby dolls and all the little girls in the neighborhood and put the dolls in strollers and go for a baby doll stroll. Some of the boys or bigger kids hop on their scooters and come along and we walk around the neighborhood. My husband gets his exercise by mowing the grass and jogging to the grocery store when the list is short and not too heavy. We also spend time at the pool playing hard and on the playground swinging and climbing. 

My family has started doing aerobic excerises that are disguised as olympic events. We have challenges that have to be completed for a prize at the end. THe childen really love it because they get little metals that they can wear and a choice of any activity that they want to do on the weekends. You have to win so many metals before the end of the week to get the grand prize. I have found that I am losing weight trying to compete with my children.

With 5 Grandchildren ranging in age from 3 to 10 I am certainly busy keeping them busy. I think a WII would allow us to play together as well as them alone giving me time to at least get lunch ready! :)

We dance around to fun music like Imagination Movers or Grease and Abba!!

With 3 boys (6, 3 & 3), we've done most of the great ideas mentioned in the previous posts. An additional tip I have is for those days when it is too hot or too rainy to be outside. We like to play indoor miniature golf. My husband sets up a course by utlizing masking tape on the floor (to indicate the hole number) and various household items to provide obstacles. So that it doesn't get too crazy, the boys take turns with the putter and golf ball (3 boys with golf clubs indoors could prove to be detrimental!). I must admit that the idea of indoor Putt-Putt terrified me at first (I had images of all things glass shattering), but the boys are really good about keeping the club and ball on the ground. Most importantly, we get off the couch and they LOVE it.

Our family loves to stay active and the summer is the best time.  We all play tennis together and after dinner until about 10 PM is the best!  Mom, Dad and son also ride bicycles at night and on the weekends.   and we all play church league co-ed softball.
It is great fun and keeps us happy. The best part is sharing a large chocolate milk after EVERY activity.
Thanks!

I think one great way to get kids and family to get and stay fit is by playing a game called nutrition counter: We all select things we want and try to come up with the most vitamin enriched, packed with nutrition combinations. The winner gets to pick the family activity; (i.e.- games, walks,frisbee,catch,biking). This also teaches us to watch what we eat and how much we eat, it is also a great way to figure out what foods you can combine to make powerful healthy meals . Another game I like is to walk after dinner; one way to make this fun is by counting the most of something: say the first person to count a certain number of something is winner and gets to pick the next activity, this one my son usually wins at, I get to caught up looking around. This game also teaches kids to focus and be aware of what is around them. My favorite activity is to go feed the animals: We go to our local Kroger and buy some bread off the discount rack ( usually .25 or so ) and go to Lake Lynn and feed the animals as we are walking around the lake. This is a great way to get exercise, fresh air, have fun, and help the wildlife and the environment. I think having a" Wii " would be a great way to keep the family active also and if we win, I'll come up with ways to incorporate this. Thanx.

My husband and I enjoy playing tennis, so we signed our three girls (ages 7, 11 and 14) up for tennis lessons on Mondays and Thursdays. I also signed up for classes because it gives me an extra work out and has helped me to strengthen my lungs; I was diagnosed with asthma 7 years ago. On Sunday evenings, we take the whole group to the tennis court and play for 2 hours or more for fun. It is a great way for us to spend time together while staying active at the same time. The girls love it! With the economy the way it is, this is a definate highlight in our house because it costs us nothing and brings the whole family together for fun in a healthy way....plus it tires them out. :o)

We have a trampoline and the kids spend quite a bit of time jumping on it. We join them some times and that is a workout! We also do a lot of bike riding and walking. There is no television during the week (especially now that school is back in). We switched to apple slices and fiber one bars for school snacks - no crackers, chips or fake fruit snacks. I don't keep soda's in the house normally and when I do they are allowed to drink them in limited amounts. We drink lots of water and I typically cook healthy foods.

We have a trampoline and the kids spend quite a bit of time jumping on it. We join them some times and that is a workout! We also do a lot of bike riding and walking. There is no television during the week (especially now that school is back in). We switched to apple slices and fiber one bars for school snacks - no crackers, chips or fake fruit snacks. I don't keep soda's in the house normally and when I do they are allowed to drink them in limited amounts. We drink lots of water and I typically cook healthy foods.

We have a trampoline and the kids spend quite a bit of time jumping on it. We join them some times and that is a workout! We also do a lot of bike riding and walking. There is no television during the week (especially now that school is back in). We switched to apple slices and fiber one bars for school snacks - no crackers, chips or fake fruit snacks. I don't keep soda's in the house normally and when I do they are allowed to drink them in limited amounts. We drink lots of water and I typically cook healthy foods.

I LOVE your idea about writing in journals!  We are going to try it with our girls.  :o)  Thank you for sharing. 

Thank goodness it's summer again, but with having a 12,10, 9, and 4 year old it is challenging! The summer has been kind compared to the heat waves from before. We swim at least 4 times a week at the community pool to beat the heat and wear out the little one! We take family strolls around the neighborhood at dusk after dinner. The weekends we go and walk the trails, swing the swingsets, and play the playgrounds at various parks around the county. Sometimes the girls will bring their skates along or their jump ropes and my son always uses any opportunity to skateboard! We also rent paddle boats or a canoe at the lake. My sweetie and I have bought tennis gear and have been learning the sport together. The children have fun being our ball boys and have gained interest too. Needless to say cold water is everyone favorite drink now... well except for the little one!

This summer every night we either played tennis at our local tennis courts or went to the pool for each night. If it rain we simply went out side on our driveway and played "horse". We might seem crazy for playing in the rain but we kept fit! We always spent some of our summer at the beach. There are bikerides everywhere so if we're not biking to the pool the we are doing a 30 minute bike ride somewhere. My younger daughter has made up ryhmes as we go to places: "We went to the pool we had some fun as we ran in the sun all summer all when we fun to the fun!" Often my other two daughters would sing and make up songs too. Often they would sing a Disney song that the all knew and sing off key if we went around the block. I think that made them closer to each other. We often walked our two dogs in the morning if I was up and a otere daughter was. I would help her learn french as well as getting exercise. One thing that I am greatful for is that we don't have cable tv so that pulls them away from it and outside! We have had the best summer this year!

This summer every night we either played tennis at our local tennis courts or went to the pool for each night. If it rain we simply went out side on our driveway and played "horse". We might seem crazy for playing in the rain but we kept fit! We always spent some of our summer at the beach. There are bikerides everywhere so if we're not biking to the pool the we are doing a 30 minute bike ride somewhere. My younger daughter has made up ryhmes as we go to places: "We went to the pool we had some fun as we ran in the sun all summer all when we fun to the fun!" Often my other two daughters would sing and make up songs too. Often they would sing a Disney song that the all knew and sing off key if we went around the block. I think that made them closer to each other. We often walked our two dogs in the morning if I was up and a otere daughter was. I would help her learn french as well as getting exercise. One thing that I am greatful for is that we don't have cable tv so that pulls them away from it and outside! We have had the best summer this year!

We have never had a Wii or cable tv or Nintendo of any kind so we normally go outside on a regular basis. My children aren't familar with these toys. I don't allow them to have them because I worry that they might get hooked to it and not be fit or at least go outside as much. The only thing that I would consider is the Wii because at least you move around with it a little. And even if we had one we would still have our "1 hour fitness time".

We often Bike around our neighborhood, frequent skateparks and hit the pool whenever possible.

My son is only 16 weeks, but already he likes music. I play music for him while I "sing" and dance around to make him laugh. During his morning nap, I'll push him in the stroller for a walk, or if it's too hot, I'll do some exercise program from the exercise on demand channel. There are plenty of options to keep your interest. In the evening when the weather is cooler and dad is home, we'll tend the garden and check our tomatoes, basil and pumpkins!

My very creative 7yr old son came up with making his own obstacle course in our basement. It is great down there because it is very open and stays cool. They have many bar stools, a couch, coffee table, cranium fort pieces, many different sized balls (even hippity hop balls), a ride on airplane that uses good old-fashioned foot power, and the main attraction.... a 12ft long wooden board with one end propped up on a sturdy plastic box which they run up and jump off onto the futon and many other cushions (no flips for safety!). I think the plank was my husband's contribution! They get completely exhausted doing this for hours!
And right now, they are outside on a spy mission... tracking down the neighbor's cat with various spy gear. I like that too!

We have been teaching our puppy to fetch a ball. I think we have been fetching more than him. At work, I do chair exercise during down time.

The Raleigh Farmer's Market is a great place to get our walks in on the weekends. Bonus: we get to try all of the fresh produce being grown by our local farmers and take some home!

Since the start of summer we have tried to stay on the move. My son who is 14 tends to have a busy social life but when summer hit things slowed down for him. Since I work from home I tried to rearrange my schedule a bit to make sure that the 2 of us go to the local gym at least 3 times a week. As a family we always eat dinner together so we get our family time and we love to "play" jeopardy together as well when it comes on the television. Then the t.v. goes off and we take the dogs for a brisk walk which gets us all out and about. My son recently discovered that he loves golf and is actually quite good at it (he couldn't have had an affinity for a less expensive sport), so I'm sure the links will be on our agenda soon.

Whether it's trying a new food at dinner or a new activity, the motto in our house is "variety is the spice of life." As a stay at home dad I've tried to keep my daughter (5) and two sons (7 and 9) physically and mentally active this summer while staying true to our motto. We have daily "brain time" when we might study our world map, do math problems (kitchen fractions, etc.), or play an educational computer game (30 minute limit). We keep our bodies moving with a range of activities that fit with our “variety” mantra. Here’s an alphabetic sampler of our 2009 activities:

After dinner walks
Biking, Bowling, Basketball, Batting Cages, and Bocce ball
Couch Cushion Forts and Costumes!
Dancing (Weezer, Big Bopper, and Jimmy Buffet top our play list)
Emerald Isle beach fun
Family Game Time (Uno, Slamwich, Carcassonne, Settlers of Catan, Blokus are favorites)
Gymnastics
Hopscotch
Invite neighbor kids over to join the fun
Jump rope
Karate, Kickball, and Kite flying
Lightsaber battles
Mountain hikes with Nana and Papa
“Noisy in Boise” (you can’t help but MOVE when you listen to this wonderful Jim Gill CD) link
Olympic House Cleaning – how fast can you complete your chores?
Pool
Quiet Time!
Rollerskating
Soccer, Soccer, Soccer
Turn off the Television
Unstructured play time
Visiting new places (and doing lots of walking – Washington D.C. anyone?)
Wrestling (scholastic /folk style only please, with supervision – no “pro” wrestling in our house)
X marks the spot for outdoor pirate treasure hunts
Yard work fun
Zzzzzzzzzzz

I've enjoyed reading about the great ideas of others and look forward to incorporating a few during the last three weeks of summer.  I hope one or two of our ideas might add variety to someone else's summer fun.

This summer we are keeping our girls active by taking them on walks 3 nights a week around our neighborhood and no "Pick me up?" refrain is allowed. Also, we have been doing a summer gymnastics class.

What I find works, is to just go outside and the whole family follows me outside. As long as I am outside with them, they also remain outside.

We are cutting back on the junk foods. We are eating lots of salads and simply enjoy hanging out with each other both in and outside. Plus we are chasing our two year old all the time. :)

We keep active by making fun shapes with sidewalk chalk. Then we jump in them, or run around them or throw a ball from shape to shape. It is a great way for my 2 year old to learn his shapes, and it gets us moving!

Whether it’s for a family walk or a bike ride, each family member can take a turn at choosing a route or destination. They choose the location and the length of excursion. This gives variety, and each person gets to express a choice or preference at his turn.

For indoor activity, we have some small pieces of exercise equipment: a step platform, some weights of several sizes, a large inflated exercise ball, jump rope, exercise band (elastic), even a line-dancing video exercise program, or a CD or cassette of some lively music to groove to! Each day (or every other day) a person in the family gets to choose what it will be for a 20 minute workout or so. They can choose a standard or traditional use for the piece of equipment or try inventing something new (as long as it isn’t too “exotic”), and the other family members follow along or take turns using the equipment as decided upon by today’s “exercise leader”.

Also, my family stays healthy by eating the right foods. We have made our "Try a new recipe day" where every Wednesday we make a new dish. Roasted Chicken, Meatloaf, Spaghetti, and more! We bought new cooking books and my kids go outside and play while the dinner is cooking. It's great!

Whooo hooooo! We are active this summer as well.
A trip to the pool is always on the agenda! We have many play date which take us all over the Triangle to play with kids in parks and museums. We keep things hydrated and healthy snacks are within reach by bringing along a small cooler.
Then, after dinner, I get a break while my husband and our son go walk the dog at dusk through our closest Cary Greenway. Keeping things fit and fun is our goal this summer! :)
Now, when the winter comes, we'd love to keep fit with a Wii! ;)
Thanks for this opportunity!

We work out at the YMCA as a family - the family that plays together - stays together and are healthier too....

This summer has been the first that my 5 year old has been out of day care. With money tight, we've been "exploring" the different counties. At the beginning of the summer, we made a list of all the different parks and hiking trails in our county and the surrounding counties. We go early in the morning, taking along my one year old daughter who's in the stroller, and explore the different areas. We use the time to look at all the bugs and butterflies around us. My son's favorite parks are the ones that have turtle ponds! When we return home, we rate the different areas on easyness of walking trails, water fountains, types of animals seen, etc. Afterward, my son goes to Kids Stay n' Play for an hour while I hit the gym. After naps, we fill up the kiddie pool and he and my one year old splash around. After pool time, my son helps me cook dinner where we're currently experimenting with different new vegetables we buy at the farmer's market.

We are having fun staying "fit". Our oldest daughter is 4 and she learned how to swim this summer and asked to join the swim team. We have spent a lot of time staying cool at the pool this summer. To get there, we ride our bike! We have ridden our bikes everywhere this summer, the grocery store, the park, the pool. We take Sunday morning hikes at Umstead Park or at Lake Crabtree. And, we have fun picking blueberries, blackberries at Meredith College and watering our garden at home. We all participated in the Race for the Cure, the girls did the fun run. My husband plays soccer. For me, I'm training for another marathon in November and two 1/2 marathons, Va. Beach in September and Raleigh's City of Oaks in November. The heat is tough, but it's so much better than sitting around. When it's too hot to go outside or we're listening to the afternoon thunderstorm...we turn on some music and Shake our Silly's out.

We have no screen time! Everyone has to turn off their screens and get moving!

My husband is always into something outdoors (the boat, lawnmower, tinkering on vehicles), so when we are at home, we are out playing with our dogs, playing catch or kickball, roller skating with my 4 year old daughter, riding bikes or working in the flower beds. Some afternoons, my daughter will go with me to the dance studio while I do paperwork and class schedules, she is trying out new dance moves, so she can "teach" when classes start back. We've been very lucky so far, our daughter loves to be outside and doing something all the time. Hopefully these things will stick with her as she grows, helping to keep us all active and healthy and making memories.

As a newly engaged "future step-mom and auntie", I spend most weekends in the country, with two wonderful very active little girls. All three of us and the "future hubby" could stand to loose a few pounds, so we decided to lay off the sodas and put some pep in our step. We have managed to get in a little exercise this summer by spending extra time outside in the yard. The girls enjoy riding their bikes while we work around the yard. We sometimes create a obstacle course and time each girl to see who can complete it the fastest. When the bike riding is over, it is cool down time with books, a shower and sleep. It's a great way to sneak in a little exercise while having fun too.

We have an after dinner walk every night that my 3 year old has named the 'Peach Walk', since we pass under a giant peach tree on the way. We try to keep it interesting by pointing out various insects and animals and making up funny stories about them. It's also a great way to meet other young families!

Our summers have run smoothly for several years now by instituting the "exercise/read for electronics time" program my husband and I designed. Our children ages 15, 13, 12 and 8 balked at our plan 4 years ago when summer rolled around and we explained to them that no electronics were going to be used in our home all summer long unless they earned it. For an hour of activity you earned 30 minutes of electronics. Swimming, biking, kayaking, it didn't matter, and it didn't need to be all at once. When the weather is really too hot to venture outside, dancing works inside as well as going to the mall to power walk. We added, if they read for an hour it would also earn them 30 minutes of electronics time. By the time they're done with their day they have plenty of time to relax with a movie or play a game on the computer ! There's no arguing because it wasn't a choice, Mom & Dad follow the same rule!

We've managed to stay busy just doing outdoor things, walking at the lake, riding bikes, swimming. It wasnt intended to be a jumpstart on a healthy lifestyle - just things I remembered doing as a kid.

There is a tennis court near our house. We go there when it is not hot to play as a family. Which ever team looses the match, prepares the supper after that!!!It is worth winning it, don't you think so?You get exercise as well as a chance(based on your effort) no not have to cook that night....

After I come home from work, I encourage my children to go outside and play. They will ride their bike, skate board, or go to a nearby park to swing and run around with their friends. Occassionally, we will walk / jog in the the neighborhood during some evenings when the weather is nice and not too humid.

Summer is a time to be with your family and friends. I have definitely helped my family this summer. I walk with my dad every night so that we can at least get one hour of excercise in every day, as recommended. We also go to the gym and work out at least 2 times every week. As for my mom who is always busy, I try to get her to come with us to. Sometimes it works and I can see the physical and emotional difference it is making. I also get my brother up so that my parents dont have to, which is a help. We try to cut down on T.V. time to spend more time talking and having fun.

Swimming, swimming, swimming....It's hot, so we are stayng cool and getting great exercise!

We stopped eating out so much. Fast food is very fattening. I eat my meals in smaller options. In addition, we cut back on drinking sodas. We drink more water. I have to buy those little packs of flavor to add to our water. I buy more fruits and vegetables. Try to exercise at least three times per week. When I drive, I will park farther from the building to get more exercising by walking.

We let our 16 month-old chase our dog around the house. The dog is wary of unsteady toddler hands, so she gets up and leaves when our daughter comes towards her. OUr daughter thinks this is delightful, so she chases after the dog...and around and around they go. It's perfect for wearing them both out at the same time!

Staying fit without the kids throwing a fit: it's easy if your activities are "fun" and not "work" -- We do everything from having races to get the newspaper and the mail at the end of the drive to spending hours at the pool. My kids would be bored at the pool in an hour if they don't have a friend to play with or have mom in the pool, too. So, I set a good example and hop right in with my goggles on. Added benefit -- I've toned up quite a bit this summer! We take our bikes and scooters to a local school parking lot (school is not in session) and race around while Mom or Dad walks the dog around -- again, everyone gets excercise and the kids think it's just play time with Parents! I time them around the loop, watch their "tricks," and generally pay attention which they love.

We finally broke down and joined a pool / fitness center that just opened up in our area. Though it didn't open until early July, we've been there nearly every day. My daughters, 4 and 5, have drastically improved their swimming abilities this summer, with the five-year-old taking voluntarily taking laps every day and working on her stroke in addition to recreational swimming. Though she's in year-round school, we bring her every evening for an hour or two. My husband, an avid swimmer, has gone back to swimming daily laps. In addition, our five-year-old just learned to ride her bike sans training wheels this past spring and so we take regular bike rides all around the neighborhood in the evenings to visit friends. Finally, our younger daughter will be playing recreational soccer in August, and has been practicing her skills every chance she gets. We thankfully haven't found much time to sit around this year - prior to this summer, we tended to end up inside a lot due to the heat and mosquitos that frequent our yard!

To keep us moving, I always try to plan fun things for me and my family! We recently discovered the American Tobacco trail. We bought cheap roller blades on ebay for ten dollars, parked near the Southpoint entrance to the trail, then roller bladed all the way to downtown Durham - 6 miles one way. Once downtown, we can skate around and sight see on skates.

Just always make exercise fun! That will encourage the family to keep moving. Make contests with the kids, have a makeshift award ceremony, have a weight loss challenge to see who can lose 5 lbs first.

Oh, and make sure you always drink plenty of water - keep hydrated!

For the Keep Moooving contest!

I propose a Triangle-Wide PLAY OUTSIDE HOUR from 6-7pm each night.

I believe, overall, the best suggestion is to try to recapture some of the natural activities that parents enjoyed before we all had cable TV, videogames, and computer games that now easily capture a lot of our children’s free time.

Parents aren’t perfect and are always pressed for time, money and energy. We don’t always feel comfortable sending our children outside to play for hours unsupervised like we sometimes did in our own childhood. We can’t always afford to buy pool memberships, gym memberships, and expensive sports equipment.

But if we just occasionally stopped and thought – how did we do this when I was a kid, or what do I remember BEST from my childhood, scores of wonderful ideas that are easy and fun will pop into our lives. I personally remember playing kickball in the street with neighbor children.

Wouldn’t it be wonderful if all Triangle area parents grasped this idea and all the kids went outside to play at the SAME TIME – say 6-7 pm each night? Parents could take turns keeping an eye on the kids during this hour, or they could all come outside too and garden, reconnect with neighbors, or join in the fun with the kids.   (If this hour does not work well then another hour could be chosen in each community depending on their needs.)

Teachers structure good "reading for pleasure" habits  into their classroom with a daily “DEAR” time (Drop Everything And Read.) We could call our time “Drop Everything And Play!”

We all want to be active and we all want what’s best for our children. Technology is fun but it has it’s place. It cannot replace real-life activities or exercise all the time. I have held off for many years buying a Wii for my kids so they could develop their own creative ideas. I think it would be a great supplement to other activities especially during super hot, cold, or rainy days.

If we really all tried hard to adopt this practice we could incorporate many of the wonderful specific ideas that have already been posted.  I loved reading them all!

Thank you for considering my idea. See you all outside at 6pm!

Another trick to getting my kids to love their exercise is – don’t say “no”!

When we’re on a hike, I say “yes” to going in the river, I let them run around and try to catch a tiny lizard (one kid actually caught one; must have been a slow lizard!).

Let them ride their bikes with their PJs still on in the morning – who cares!

When we’re at the ball field, I let him wear Dad’s glove to try catching (he misses more and then he has to run after more balls!), I let her throw 2 frisbees at once (because it’s FUN and it’s even funnier to watch Mom try to catch them!)

Listen to their fitness requests and try to say “yes” – they love having their way! They love moving in fun ways! And they love you for being on their team!

My son loves to race so we spend a lot of time holding races in our backyard. (Not too long ago, he saw a track meet on tv and told me he wanted to do that.) If we're in the house, he likes for us to try to "get" him. In that case we run around the house until either my husband or I catch him and then it's his sister's turn. It's fun and we always work up a sweat. My daughter loves playing frisbee. Her aim isn't quite up to speed yet so we spend most of the game chasing down errant throws.

When we were in the mountains last week, we did several trails. It was a great way to see some beautiful scenery and we got great exercise. We also let the kids play in the fountain/pool that is set up in Cherokee. They loved it!

YOGA!
I started back at the beginning of summer...once a week and fell in love! so now it has become a household routine and my daughter and I wake up and stretch to get our blood flowing and ready for the day.
We also ride scooters and bikes in the evening. Also, gardening is a good way to de-stress and burn some calories. My little one helps with that as well. Then to end our day, we do some yoga poses to unwind and center ourselves for a peaceful sleep.
I am so glad to see that her school offers yoga as part of the morning routine!

I prepare my meals the night before, and we eat dinner @ 5:30 as soon as we get home. Then we put on our sneakers and go for a walk around the neighborhood. And between 8 pm & 11 we make it a habit of drinking 3 bottles of water before bed

I am teaching my daughter to ride a bike right now, so thats plenty of exercise for the both of us. After she's training wheel free, I plan to do family rides in the evening.

I would just like to start out by saying that being fit is not a hard goal to accomplish. It takes daily commitment but can ultimately lead to productive results. This summer, our family has tried to set a goal of becoming fit. Here are just some of our daily routines: 

1. 1. Taking a stroll around your neighborhood seems to be the easiest and best option. Not only does everyone get some fresh air but the whole family is able to communicate with each other. This makes for some great family moments and it takes the pain out of exercise.
2. 2. Playing sports are always a great way to get exercise and still have fun. Tennis is a family favorite. We all just go to the court and just have fun matches. Its not for the competition (although the kids will have it) but for the sheer fun of tennis. In similar fashion badminton is also great. It might even be better considering you could just play it on your yard.
3. 3. Biking some days is also great. Biking around the neighborhood is probably the best thing to do during a weekday. It gets everyone motivated and the rushing of air make it an enjoyable experience. During the weekends, I would recommend going to a park like Umstead to bike. There are a lot of cycling trails and the interaction with nature is always great.
4. 4. This might sound weird but going to the mall or just a regular grocery store usually finishes up the exercise requirement for the day. You might not think about exercise as you are walking through the aisles of a supermarket but when you come back home you will definitely notice the sore legs. My kids usually help with my coupons, so they are also combing through the whole store for products. Running through the store atleast six times usually makes them pretty tired.
5. 5. When its raining outside, we usually try to think of something to do that would make us sweat. Recently(since it has been raining a decent amount), we have been doing yoga. There are many youtube clips showing how to do the postures. So, we usually just hook our laptop on to the tv and do the postures along with the video. It has worked and my kids are pretty tuned to doing it with us.
6. 6. Gardening and watering our lawn have become daily activities. I can usually count on the kids to help me with digging and planting new plants. This is pretty intensive work and will easily make anyone sweaty. We have been using some of the tomatoes and bell peppers from our garden. The kids are always delighted to see that they are eating veggies they planted.
7. 7. As always, exercise is only one part to being fit. Eating lots of veggies and protein is also important. So, I make sure the kids get as much of this as possible. My kids have been usually cooperative in eating veggies. So, i haven't had the problems most have. The gardening might be a boost to this behavior. 

   I think thats close to about how much we do. this is not some weekly schedule. We just decide on the spot what we would like to do. I don't count how many calories we have burnt but I believe when you get sweaty after a good exercise, thats probably good enough.   I hope we win a wii. Those fitness games sound really interesting to play.

Personally, I believe that the best way to keep a family active and engaged is for the adult(s) to lead by example! I am living proof that this can work! I have watched my parents exercise on a daily basis since I can remember. I am now 45 and they are in their Mid-70's. (They look like they are in their 50's!) To this day, they still exercise every day. When not enjoying the outside beauty, they go to their local gym in Boone, NC and either swim lapsor walk on the treadmill. They also volunteer at their local hospital and carry prescription medications to locations all throughout the facility

Now, I am a mom of 4 beautiful children! My children have watched their "mom" value exercise as part of my normal daily habit! "Grand-ma" and "Grand-dad's" way of life made a big impression on me because even at the age of 45, I run 6 days a week.

We don't view exercise as work. We view it as a privledge! How fortunate we are to be "free" in America. Also, what a great location Wake County is in. We have just a short drive to the beaches or the mountains. This gives people a change of scenery and provides even more opportunities for activity!

From when my children were just babies, they were out and about. As infants, they were in a bike seat as I rode them around. As they grew, it was just part of our daily routine. We swam in the hot weather at our local pool. We walked, biked, and jogged in the cooler weather. And when they were old enough, they all took up snow skiing. My youngest is now 11 and she enjoys gymnastics, swimming, soccer, and even runs with me sometimes!

I will close with the "biggest" living proof of how exercise is lead by example! My new fiance began joining my children and I on our "Daily FUN Exercising Excursions" back in November of 2008. At that time, he was 6 feet tall and weighed in at 305 pounds. My children (and neighbors) have watched in amazement as he has steadily reduced in size so that he now weighs 225 pounds! No fad dieting here! Just good, old fashioned exercise and healthy eating! As my 11 year old said, "wow, he has lost one of me!" (She weighs 70 lbs)

So leaders, lead by example. Make it fun! My parents led me and I am now trying to lead my children. I cannot wait for my next season of life. Because then I can bring the grandchildren along!!

THIS CONTEST IS CLOSED. WINNER TO BE NOTIFIED BY THE END OF THE DAY.

Sarah, site editor