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1. Play is free! Kids don’t need
expensive equipment or even an organized sport to have fun playing
outside. A simple game of tag or hide and seek will do the trick.
Encourage them to make up their own wacky games – challenge
them to invent a game using two everyday playthings, such as a hula
hoop and a ball. |
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2. Have a blast from your past. Everyone has a favorite fun playground or backyard game they played growing up. Why not get outside and teach the kids how to play it? Chances are they’ll love Red Light Green Light, Kick the Can or Flashlight Hide and Seek as much as you did. 3. Scrapes
and cuts are a natural part of playing outside. Protect
your kids by learning the “3 Cs of Wound Care”: 4. Actions speak louder than...: When you play outside with your kids, you set a good example and show them that physical activity is important. Let the dishes or e-mail wait — join the kids for a walk in the park or on a nature trail, or jog alongside them while they ride their bikes. 5. Puddle power! If it’s raining, put on old clothes or raingear and hold a puddle-jumping contest. Or see who can make the biggest splash – a “puddle battle” is a lot of good wet fun. 6. Track and field day: Invite neighborhood kids to compete in events like relay races, sprints and long jumps. Safety Tip: Be sure to race only on grass to avoid serious injury, and bring along some Neo to Go®, pocket-sized packets of NEOSPORIN® First Aid Antibiotic Ointment in case someone falls. 7. Play Wacky Catch. In this version of catch, the first time a player misses a ball he or she must start throwing with only one hand. On the second miss, the player must throw with the opposite hand; on the third, kneeling on one knee. By the fourth miss, the player must be on both knees and by the fifth, lying flat! 8. Help! Snake in the grass! Turn a jump rope into a snake by wiggling it on the ground and encouraging kids to jump over it from side to side to avoid being “bitten.” 9. Hop to it! Work on balance, motor and memory skills by devising a simple hopping sequence (two hops on the right foot, three jumps, four hops on the left foot) and see how long your child can go. Other variations might include hopping on one foot or with eyes closed. 10. Go Hawaiian. Liven up a game of catch by laying a hula hoop in the grass between the players. Try to make the ball bounce in the circle before you catch it. |