“Do you play outdoors with your family? The Worldwide Day of Play is the centerpiece of Nickelodeon's The Big Help, a program to empower kids and families to make healthy lifestyle choices every day. On September 24, 2011, kids and families are encouraged to participate in the Worldwide Day of Play to turn off the TV and play outside. Physical activity can improve health, self-esteem and the well being of children. Teach kids a healthier lifestyle of limited TV time and a more physical activities.”
I always try to encourage my kids to play outside. Lucky for me, I don’t have to push too hard because they LOVE hanging out in the backyard. Outdoor play is healthy, fun and easy. It helps children stay physically active which boosts energy, lowers anxiety and stress and builds friendships. Of course, outdoor time isn’t just for kids. I always feel so much happier when I get outside and enjoy the sunshine (which is soon to be no more since fall/winter is coming on).
Our family isn’t much of an ‘Organized Outdoor Activity Family’. My kids really just enjoy playing little games outside. Just last week we played a game of tag together. It was so much fun and even Easton got in on the action 
One of our favorite things to do is take walks. The kids ride their bikes while Brett and I walk behind them (with Easton of course). We do this at least once a week. My girls really look forward to it, and it gives us all a chance to enjoy the weather and get some exercise. If we aren’t up for walks, sometimes Brett and I will just sit in the front yard while the kids ride their bikes in front of the house. They always think it is much more fun to ride bikes when Mom & Dad are watching.
During the summer we like to go swimming, but it isn’t always easy to get to a pool. That is why we have a lot of backyard water toys. Brett built the kids a little ‘water-wash’ this summer which is just a bunch of connected pipes with holes in them so the water could run out. My kids played in it so much this past summer and had a blast! We also have a little pool, fun sprinklers, and of course a slip and slide. My girls practically live in their swimming suits during the warm months.
It’s always more difficult to get outside when the weather is cold. However, we do try to take the kids sledding a few times during the winter. And they always love playing in the snow!
Being outdoors is always an energy booster for me and hopefully my kids will continue to love playing outside!! There are too many ways to be lazy these days so outdoor activities will keep us away from all those things (that unfortunately take up more time than they should)!
In honor of Nickelodeon's 8th Annual Worldwide Day of Play,Clorox encourages you to take the Clorox2® Play 2Day pledge to play outside! Visit http://clorox2play2day.com and take the pledge today!!
I wrote this blog post while participating in the SocialMoms and Clorox2® blogging program, for a gift card worth $40. For more information on how you can participate, click here
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