A Happy New Year Begins with solutions through our Building Healthy Communities-Step Up for School Wellness program. This program has a five-step model that engages a School Health Team, helps us use our assessment data to make informed decisions, and provides opportunities to practice healthy behaviors. Here are 10 simple ways to reinforce what your student is learning at school by being active as a family at home:
1. Go on a Scavenger Hunt
Make a list of challenges (find a bird, snap a photo of a person smiling, etc.), split your family into teams, set a time limit and then head off to see who can complete the most items.
2. Take a Hike
Explore your neighborhood, a local zoo, or even a park in the winter! While the cold weather may be intimidating and keep you indoors, you actually can warm up really fast if you are moving!
3. Set 'Mileage' Goals for the Weekend
Decide as a family how many steps, or how many miles, you want to travel over the weekend, then have fun trying to reach the goal. You can use pedometers to measure steps taken while running errands, going on hikes, playing tag and more, and can challenge the family to increase your goal each weekend.
4. Play Some Games
Play a game that requires movement like charades, Twister, or video games with dancing.
5. Family Olympics
Get together with a group of families and compete in events like hula-hoops (super fun in the winter), 50-yard dash, relay race, snowman building, or a winter obstacle course. You can even make it an annual event!
6. Family Fitness Classes
If you like a more structured routine, try a fitness class designed for families, like stroller workouts, mom/dad and baby workouts or family yoga.
7. Do Chores Together
Vacuuming, washing floors, collecting and taking out the garbage, and even doing laundry work your muscles and burn calories while teaching your kids the value of responsibility. Make chores fun by setting a time limit and turning up the music while you work together as a family.
8. Plan Seasonal Outdoor Activities
Swimming, biking, canoeing and hiking are great in the summer, while sledding, ice skating, building a snowman or skiing are fun – and great for your fitness goals – in the winter.
9. Play Together
Tag, hide-and-go-seek, double-dutch jump rope, and dancing are so much fun you won't even realize it's exercise in disguise. These are not just warm weather activities, they are great in the winter too!
10. Try Some Family Sports
Go to a local gym or fitness facility and swim, shoot some baskets, play volleyball, or lift weights. These activities give you quality time as a family while staying active.
