Being active is a very important part of keeping healthy year-round. One way to stay active and have fun is to play sports, and with the variety of different sports out there, you should be able to find a sport that you love. Another great thing about playing sports for fun is that you can make it into a form of quality time for your family. Here are four sports that you can try out with your family to build quality time, tire out your kids, and get moving!
Baseball or Softball
Baseball is an American pastime that is great to play with the entire family. The classic image of a father and son playing catch is sweet, and extending it to parents and children of all genders makes the sport a fun time for everyone. Unless you have a family of eighteen people, you won't be able to play baseball with full teams. However, you can easily play smaller games with the number of people in your family. If you don't want to attempt a classic game, you can also practice drills together for your kids' upcoming baseball or softball season or have a home run derby. Baseball is considered more of a summer sport, and it's important to note that if you have a wooden bat, they don't do well in temperatures below 65 degrees. Some gyms or arenas will have space or programs to play baseball in the colder months, so make sure to check what your local area offers in the winter.
Soccer
Soccer is a very popular sport all over the world, and one of the biggest reasons is that you only need one piece of equipment to play: a soccer ball. Although having goals is nice, you can easily create make-shift goals out of almost anything. Kids of all ages can play soccer, and you can have teams of any size that works for you. One fun way to play is having the adults versus the kids, although this is usually fairer if the kids outnumber the adults. Since many kids play soccer in recreational or school leagues in the fall when the season is happening, playing as a family can be a great way to help your children prepare for their season. It may also help to prevent any injuries that can pop up from a sudden increase in activity and movement caused by a stagnant summer and an intense sports season. To make sure your child is healthy for their season, have them get a pre-participation physical exam six to eight weeks before the season begins so that their doctor can treat any problems they see appear.
Swimming
Swimming is thought of mainly as a summer activity, but it can easily be a year-round sport if you belong to a gym with an indoor pool. Swimming is a wonderful form of exercise for the whole family because it is low impact and younger kids can wear flotation devices to be able to keep up with older kids. To make swimming a form of exercise and not just another form of lounging, challenge your kids to races, competitions of who can tread water for the longest, and games like water polo. However, do not encourage competitions of who can hold their breath for the longest -- kids will want to win, and they may not have the common sense to come up for air when they need it. Make sure to cover pool safety with your children, and if you're at a public pool always listen to the lifeguards on duty and follow the pool rules while swimming.
Lawn Sports
If you are at larger family gatherings, it can be hard to organize a game for a classic sport like soccer or baseball, especially if there is limited outdoor space for the game. That is where lawn games come in. Although they are not as active as a traditional sport, they are still a way of moving your body and making sure that no one is sitting around stagnantly and whining about bored. Here are a few great lawn games to play to get everyone moving at a family event:
- Bocce. The only equipment you need for a game of bocce is a set of bocce balls, which consist of larger balls for the players to throw and a smaller ball to mark the goal spot to throw to. To play, one person tosses the marker ball, and everyone else tries to throw or toss their bocce ball to be the closet. This is usually played in two teams, which are shown by two different ball colors, and the first team to hit a set number of points wins. The number of points to win can be changed by your cohort to whatever makes sense, but a good number to try starting out would be around 20 points.
- Bean bag toss. A bean bag toss is a classic way to engage everyone during an outdoor party. You will need two sets of three to four bean bags and two bean bag toss boards, which you can either buy or make. To win, you once again have to try to get the correct number of points first. This is a great game to play with all ages since the difficulty can easily be adjusted for different skill levels.
- Kan Jam. Kam jam is another classic lawn game that will get you moving. You need a total of four players, so this can be played with your immediate family or with extended family or friends. To play, you need two "Kans" and a frisbee. There are two teams, and one member of each team stands at one can, and one member of each team stands at the other. Your goal is to get the frisbee into the Kan, either through the slot or the open top.
Although lawn games are not a traditional sport, they are a great way to maximize time spent moving and time spent on your feet when you may otherwise be lounging. Building healthy habits early is healthy. If your child is taking care of themselves in one way, they will learn the importance of maintaining the health of their entire body. Considering the fact that 40% of children have cavities before kindergarten, bad habits can also start early, but if your children never form bad habits, they will be set up to live happy and healthy lives built on the healthy base you help them build.
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