Summer is a great time to reconnect with your family. You can break from the homework nights, unplug from the chilly movie days & get out and PLAY! 
Have you taken advantage of the local family-friendly events? Do you ever have family tennis night or go on family bike rides? How about setting up the sprinkler & taking turns running though?
This list offers ten great ideas to stay active with your family. Try even one of these per week and you’ll be on your way to enjoying summer more, building bonds within your family, and being healthy & active together.
(List taken from fitness.mercola.com)
10 Top Ways to Stay Active as a Family
Going to the gym is fine for adults, but when kids are involved you’ve got to get more creative… and more fun!
1. Go on a Scavenger Hunt
Make a list of challenges (find an orange leaf, get a neighbor’s signature, snap a photo of a playground, etc.), split your family into teams, set a time limit and then head off (on foot or on bike) to see who can complete the most items.
2. Have a Water Day
Tossing water balloons, splashing in a kiddie pool and running through a sprinkler in the backyard are fun ways to stay cool and active on a hot summer day.
3. Set ‘Mileage’ Goals for the Weekend
Decide as a family how many steps, or how many miles, you want to travel over the weekend, then have fun trying to reach the goal. You can use pedometers to measure steps taken while running errands, going on hikes, playing tag and more, and can challenge the family to increase your goal each weekend.
4. Wash the Car
Washing the car uses key core muscles and can be a fun, bonding experience, especially if you take time to cool off with the hose, too.
5. Family Olympics
Get together with a group of families and compete in events like hula-hoops, 50-yard dash, relay race, basketball shoot, and an obstacle course. You can even make it an annual event!
6. Family Fitness Classes
If you like a more structured routine, try a fitness class designed for families, like stroller workouts, mom/dad and baby workouts or family yoga.
7. Do Chores Together
Vacuuming, washing windows, weeding the garden, raking leaves and even doing laundry work your muscles and burn calories while teaching your kids the value of responsibility. Make chores fun by setting a time limit and turning up the music while you work together as a family.
8. Plan Seasonal Outdoor Activities
Swimming, biking, canoeing and hiking are great in the summer, while sledding, ice skating, building a snowman or skiing are fun – and great for your fitness goals – in the winter.
9. Play Together
Tag, hide-and-go-seek, hop scotch, doing cartwheels and dancing in the kitchen are so much fun you won’t even realize it’s exercise in disguise.
10. Try Out Family Sports
A backyard game of softball or volleyball, shooting hoops or taking a trip to a golf course give you quality time as a family while staying active.
Calling all Badgers, Gophers, Eagles and other academic animals. There are all kinds of lists telling you what to buy to prepare for dorm living. (Be sure you bring that fan and some air freshener.) But when you’ve got your shoe organizer and shower caddy on lock, it’s time to turn your attention to your other must haves.
