This post is sponsored by RecTennis. Although this is a sponsored post, all opinions are my own.
It is so easy to spend summer days being lazy. The heat of the summer sun beating down on you almost sends kids into a trance-like state. And if you add electronics on top of it, it can feel nearly impossible to tear them away from video games, TVs, tablets, and phones! I do have to say, though, that some of my best memories as a kid are ones that I was doing something active in during the summer months. I was lucky enough to grow up in Montana and now, I live in the Pacific Northwest, where getting outdoors is a way of life. If you are looking for some fun ways break up the electronics time this season, here are my tips for ways to get your kids active in the summer.
Ways to Get Your Kids Active in the Summer
Make them ‘earn’ electronic time- Instead of allowing unlimited electronic time, have your kids earn it. They may find that they enjoy the earning it part better in he end. To get time on electronics, have them go out and play for specific blocks of time. If you are lucky, they will get engrossed in playing, that they will forget to come in for electronic time. You could also set up formal times for electronics in your home for when it works, such as after dinner, but before bedtime routine. This way, kids will know when electronic time is and will use the rest of the time to find something else to do that is hopefully active.
Sign them up for a camp- There are so many options for camp, but have you considered one for tennis? Tennis camp isn’t just for certain kids and it isn’t just about tennis, either! RecTennis is a company that partners with local parks and rec to do weekly summer camps in the Pacific Northwest. They can be less than $150 a week for full day sessions, too, so they are also very affordable. I live in Spokane, WA and here, camp can be as low as $35 a week for 1 1/2 hours a day 5 days a week. Other fees are as follows:
For Ages: 6-14
Number of Sessions: 10 weeks (1 session = Mon-Fri full week of camp)
Session Options & Cost:
- 1.5 Hours - $35 per weekly session
- 4 Hours - $95 per weekly session
- *8 hours - $149 per weekly session
The 1.5 hour session focuses on tennis, while our 4 and *8 hour sessions also include fun camp games + activities, and swimming.
Specials:
- Buy 4 sessions get the 5th FREE
- Limited partial and full scholarships are available for those who need help paying fees!
If interested, Visit rectennis.com/spokane to register today if you are local to me, or simply visit https://rectennis.com/ for other locations in WA, AK, ID or OR!
Host block parties with neighbors- If you are lucky enough to have a neighborhood full of great kids and parents, you might be able to collaborate with each other and host block parties or other events. Get creative! I bet your kids would love setting up a ‘water park’ complete with sprinklers, pools and slides! Or how about a neighborhood scavenger hunt? You could simply do a once a year BBQ that gets everyone out and active, both socially and physically. Even if all you do is have neighbor hood kids come over for some fun in the sun once in a while, this will still encourage healthy outdoor play and activity.
Get involved with volunteer work- There are lots of family volunteer options where I live. There are great ways to spend time together as a family, keep kids active and instill good values. For volunteer opportunities in your area, look on Craigslist, check with the local parks or trails and look in places like community bulletin boards. You might even find some on Facebook. Volunteering doesn’t have to be simply cleaning up trash in parks or planting trees either, if that’s not your thing! I often see that kids and adults alike can get in on fun runs and events for free if they simply volunteer for them!
Making them earn electronic time is a good tip. My kids are addicted to the iPad. So I get them to do homework and extra study for escalating time on the iPad (20, 25, 30, 35 mins…). Works to get them studying and also limiting their iPad time.
We typically take them to swimming every week and also take them to the play center. My son gets so sweaty like he’s done a hard workout.
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One of our good friends took your sign them up for camp tip to the extreme a number of years ago. She was concerned with all the screen time the kids were getting, as compared to actual interaction with human beings while possibly moving a full limb and not just a finger. So she and her husband signed all 3 kids (then 14, 11, and 6) up for a different camp - cheer, soccer, and a general summer camp with crafts and the like. The 14 year old was the most.. upset. However, they all came back in one piece and had some interesting stories to tell their mom and dad during the drive home. To the kids’ surprise, they actually had interesting stories to share with their normal friends, which meant even more in-person interaction. 🙂