Going off to summer camp for a period of time during the summer months is a longstanding tradition for many kids. However, not everyone gets packed up and sent off to camp. This doesn’t mean that you can’t still be creative in your own homes and backyards. Gathering up family and friends in the neighborhood and putting together fun activities is what summer is all about!
We always like to put a healthy twist on things when we can, so we’ve come up with some healthy ways that you can bring summer camp activities to your home:
- Host a field day – Recruit your friends and head to a local park where you can host events such as a sack race, tug of war, hula hoop contest, or even a water balloon toss challenge.
- Create healthy music videos – Have kids select a fun song or two and write alternative healthy lyrics to it. They can perform their videos for parents, friends and siblings.
- Hike a trail – Find a fun nature trail and take the kids on a hike. Pass out a scavenger hunt list for the kids. You can even throw in some fun exercises to have them do along the way. Great exercise and great fun! Win, win!
- Get crafty – Come up with some fun crafts for the kids to do. One suggestion is to have kids create rainbows using fruits and veggies of the appropriate color to make the rainbow. Pinterest always has great ideas, too!
- Make snacking fun – Get watermelon or other types of melon, and cut out fun shapes with cookie cutters for the kids to enjoy a refreshing treat during the hot summer days. Get other creative snack ideas on our SnackWise Pinterest board.
- Cool off with some water – A pool or lake may not be readily available, but kids will enjoy running through a sprinkler or sliding across their back yards instead!
- Camp out – Put up a tent, grab some flashlights and blankets and let the kids enjoy a backyard campout with friends. You can grill out some healthy vegetables and chicken or fish to make it feel like they are cooking food by a campfire!
Creating fun memories for your kids doesn’t have to be expensive. Spending time with family and friends is what’s important. Be sure to slow down this summer and enjoy the time spent together with those that are important in your life. You will be glad you did!
