How do you encourage your kids to enjoy exercise and stay active?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm having a lot of trouble with this during such a hot humid summer. It feels too hot for playgrounds, bike riding, or hiking. We have a pool membership but don't make it every day, and when we go too often my youngest starts refusing. The boulder and ninja gyms have AC but they are SO expensive.

We do dance classes in the summer at a local ballet studio for this reason. One of my kids takes classes there during the school year, but in the summer we sign both kids up for the summer session, whatever sounds good to them (they have ballet, jazz, tap, acro, etc.). It's indoors, air conditioned, and really not very pricy. Around $100 per kid per class, for an 8 week session.

Mix in visits to indoor pools instead of only pushing outdoor pool club. When it's really hot, sometimes indoor pools are such a relief. Especially because it's a shorter visit -- you aren't hanging with friends, having a picnic lunch, etc. So you can just go for an hour in the morning. I feel for your youngest -- long days at the pool club really take it out of you. I can't do it on consecutive days or I'll get migraines from all the time in the sun and heat. But I can do an hour at an indoor pool anytime. Also sign your kids up for swim lessons.

We ride bikes to the playground after dinner when it's a smidge cooler.

$100/kid/class isn't pricey??

For 8 weeks 2x per week, no its not at all pricey. If you cant afford that your priorities are out of whack.

[Anonymous]

We play pickleball together almost every night now because sports are in the mornings as opposed to after school now. We have a bunch of neighborhood friends (adults and kids) who will join us. We can all walk to the courts, which is a huge benefit, but it's a great sport for all ages and all levels.

[Anonymous]

My tween is not into team sports or the pool but likes tennis, pickle ball, badminton (we have a net for the back yard), mountain biking, hiking, skate boarding and skiing.

On these hot days shade helps so the hiking and mountain biking are better.

[Anonymous]

We were always active in groups and had stay at home mothers. My mother has always been very strong and active. We would go to the school field on weekends and play kickball or wiffle ball. She brought us to swimming lessons every day at a sandy beach. And we walked everywhere. Three miles to the store back and forth was no problem. With the grandchildren she still is active and loves to race with them.

Middle school is when we started organized activities. Except ballet. That started around 7 years old.

I don’t remember anyone using the word exercise. It was just part of the day.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm having a lot of trouble with this during such a hot humid summer. It feels too hot for playgrounds, bike riding, or hiking. We have a pool membership but don't make it every day, and when we go too often my youngest starts refusing. The boulder and ninja gyms have AC but they are SO expensive.

We do dance classes in the summer at a local ballet studio for this reason. One of my kids takes classes there during the school year, but in the summer we sign both kids up for the summer session, whatever sounds good to them (they have ballet, jazz, tap, acro, etc.). It's indoors, air conditioned, and really not very pricy. Around $100 per kid per class, for an 8 week session.

Mix in visits to indoor pools instead of only pushing outdoor pool club. When it's really hot, sometimes indoor pools are such a relief. Especially because it's a shorter visit -- you aren't hanging with friends, having a picnic lunch, etc. So you can just go for an hour in the morning. I feel for your youngest -- long days at the pool club really take it out of you. I can't do it on consecutive days or I'll get migraines from all the time in the sun and heat. But I can do an hour at an indoor pool anytime. Also sign your kids up for swim lessons.

We ride bikes to the playground after dinner when it's a smidge cooler.

$100/kid/class isn't pricey??

For 8 weeks 2x per week, no its not at all pricey. If you cant afford that your priorities are out of whack.

That is so incredibly cheap that I can’t imagine it’s an actual dance studio, maybe like an after school program? My DD’s dance classes are considerably more for each once a week class.