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Help kids stay fit over the summer
Picture by Ashley, Essay by Carol Goodrow
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Summer is just around the corner and many kids who have been in classroom/school running programs will be challenged to maintain their level of fitness and healthy eating this summer, but the challenge shouldn't be too difficult with a little effort and encouragment by the parent. Remember, you were the one who prepared your child's healthy snack and packed his/her running shoes every day, so here are some fun tips for all parents who want to maintain that well-being over the summer. EATING 1. Do your usual grocery shopping. Start at the section with fresh fruits and veggies, then easy on the sweets and junk food. Leave room in your grocery cart so you can circle back to the produce section and turn your cart into a garden. Top the whole layer with more fruits and veggies. 2. Buy yourself a new special cutting board and knife; perhaps some containers too. Try to keep bite-sized pieces of healthy foods cut up all the time. 3. Don't severely limit junk food and sweets, but do designate a healthy snack period like the kids had in school. Make this be a time in the day when only healthy foods are eaten. 4. Subscribe to a health magazine like Nutrition Action or Prevention. Read often and try out some of their suggestions. 5. Let your child create their own healthy snack recipe book. What fun! What kind of trail mix would they create? Exactly which fruits would go in their own fruit salad? RUNNING 1. Summer is a great time to cross train. Go to the beach for some swimming fun. Go for an easy run on the beach with your kids; barefoot. 2. Measure your own backyard. Kids can run laps and count and track their progress. Use one of our many mileage or seasonal charts. Rainbow Cave Log-a-Mile Run the Seasons 3. Run and find. Play games in your backyard. Have a scavenger hunt. Hide things for kids to find and collect. Make a list and have them run and find. 4. Ride bikes. If you don't have one anymore, invest in a decent one. Try a road bike if you're only going to ride on the road and speed is your concern or perhaps you'd like a mountain bike, but you'll need smooth tires for comfortable easy road riding. 5. Find one fun run or race to take your child to this summer. Mark it on the calendar and make it a family day. Find a running club or team for your child to join. See Our national program page for some ideas. LEARNING 1. Print our Run&Journal forms. Let kids write and draw about their activities. 2. Encourage your child to enter our summer Dream Big story contests. June-Creativity and Imagination, July-Freedom, &August-Friendship 3. Have your child write a letter for publication to the KR editor. Send it in through snail mail, or if you have PINs send it by email. 4. Have your child send us 'notes' from the Run the Seasons program. Here is an example sent in by Andrew, from Southern California. 5. Visit the library and find lots of books for your child to read and for you to read to your child.  Run&Journal by Lindsey Have lots of fun and school will start again before you know it. |
A moment is never wasted when it is spent on being kind. Say a kind word to or about someone close to your child.BTW, we had our Classroom/Family fun run on Saturday. If you haven't seen the feature please visit Run, Spot, Run!
