Looking for ideas to get your kids off the sofa and out doing something to fun and active? Our friends from the Ottawa Gymnastics Centre have some great tips and suggestions.
Now that school’s out many of you must be wondering how to keep your kids busy and active this summer. Ottawa has a variety of different activities to keep your children entertained for hours. Having an active lifestyle is very important for our youth and keeping these activities fun has never been easier.
1. Enroll Your Kids in an Active Summer Camp
Ottawa offers an array of sports camps that allow your kids to engage in physical activities all day and there are multiple camps to choose from! From soccer camp to gymnastics camp you will definitely find something that sparks your child’s interest. Ottawa Gymnastics Centre provides a camp that combines gymnastics, trampoline, swimming and playing in the park to create a well-rounded day of active fun.
2. Biking
Biking is a great way to get active this summer and Ottawa has many bike paths to explore. Biking is a great family activity and allows you to keep fit while viewing the beautiful scenery that Ottawa has to offer.
3. Swimming
Swimming is a fun way to keep active and cool this summer. According to The United States Water Fitness Association swimming improves flexibility and strength, builds up endurance, increases circulation and much more!
4. Walking
Going on a long walk is a great way to have quality family time while still keeping active. To make your walk more interesting you could bring the family to a park or a forested trail and see what animals you can spot. Also, you can create a scavenger hunt and make the kids collect objects along the walk to keep them entertained.
5. Running
Running can be an exhausting form of exercise but if you are creative it will keep your kids entertained for hours. One way to get your kids running is through playing different forms of tag (Freeze tag is always a good choice!). Another fun way to get your children running is by setting up an obstacle course. You can include running, jumping, hula hooping and much more!
6. Rollerblading
Rollerblading is a fun alternative to running. It is a great way to get the family together and get those legs working! The Inline Skating Resource Center says that rollerblading is one of the best workouts for muscle development, even more so than biking or running. It is a great way to work on your child’s balance and most importantly it is tons of fun!
7. Soccer
Children love to play soccer and it’s a great way to keep them active this summer. Soccer helps kids build up their endurance and playing on a team helps kids develop social skills and learn teamwork.
8. Playing at the Park
Playing on a play structure is a fun way to get your kids moving! It combines a verity of different physical activities into one great experience. The monkey bars help with you child’s upper body strength and many parks have plastic stepping-stones that are great for helping develop balance. Other than being a great source of physical activity playing at the park is fun for the entire family.
9. Rock Climbing
Rock climbing is a fun way to keep your kids active this summer. Ottawa has a many indoor rock climbing parks that are available for all ages. Facilities such as “Clip’ N Climb” allow kids to climb walls in a safe and fun environment. There are many different sections that vary in difficulty so it is a great outing to do with the whole family!
10. Indoor Trampoline Parks
What kid doesn’t love jumping on a trampoline? Indoor trampoline parks are a great way to spend quality time with the family. According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention jumping on a trampoline is a great way to stay fit not to mention it is tons of fun! Children of all ages will have a blast jumping around and will work up quite a sweat while doing it!
