After a stressful spring quarantined at home, many families are now adjusting what their summer looks like based on regular summer activities that might no longer be an option. Here are some fun and safe ways to keep kids active over the summer!
Activities in your Driveway/Sidewalk
- Sidewalk chalk – Walk on a line or play hopscotch; jump from one line to another; have different activities in various boxes- jumping jacks, running in place, etc.
- Jumping rope
- Basketball
- Bubbles – Various activities like blowing, stomping, chasing, clapping out
- Car wash
Activities in your Yard
- Relay races/Freeze tag
- Scavenger hunts- Looking for different animals, colored plants/flowers, certain numbers or letters on license plates
- Rolling down hills
- Sand play – scooping, dumping, digging, walking barefoot in it
- Water play – splashing, pouring, spraying, imaginative play
- Family game of kickball or baseball
Activities in your Neighborhood
- Biking
- Scooter
- Roller blading
- Going on walks and coming up with challenges- use curb as a balance beam, jump over cracks in the sidewalk, race each other with various gross motor movements (running, skipping, galloping)
Household Tasks
- Push/pull loaded laundry basket to room of destination
- Carry grocery bags from car to kitchen
- Unload grocery bags from floor to countertop
- Assist with vacuuming
- Wash windows
- Water plants
By: Samantha Boll, PT, DPT