Happy Healthy Afternoons with the Family
Fun activities to promote health and prevent ailments
You can have the kids spend a weekend afternoon in front of the television all day. Or perhaps you can have them reading books or surfing the Internet; Although educational, they will be stuck on the couch or at the desk. But even worse, your kids could spend the afternoon and remaining daylight of the day, playing video games on a tablet or on Playstation or XBox Live.
If you have the time and if the whole family is free, you can take everyone out of the house for some physical exercise. There will be suggestions in this article and though you or your family may not be able to do them, the important thing is that everyone is out of the house. And since you will be activities with the kids outdoors, why not make them physical?
With the family in tow, a trip to the park is both free and right under the warm rays of the sun. Don’t think about having a full meal and a picnic on the grass, you should be taking walk or rather a hike. If your park is near the hills or the canyon, there are sure to be plenty of trails to hike. At massive municipal, state or national parks, there will be several trails of different difficulties -- if you are with novice hikers, it’s best to try the easiest trails of lowest grades.
If you want to spend your afternoon doing something more sporting, there are plenty of activities where all you need is equipment. No referees, no field rental needed -- all you need to bring are your clubs or balls. Here are some activities you can take the kids out to learn a new sports or have a little family competition.
One of your best bets is to go golfing. All you need to do is purchase the green fees and you and your family are off playing 9 to 18 holes. But let’s say your kids have not learn the game and just want to practice. Many golf courses have a driving range, putting green and chipping area. At these separate practice areas, you and your child can learn the basics of hitting chips, making putts and taking a full swing.
You need 18 players to play a game of baseball and you need 22 to play a game of football, but throwing the baseball or football is always fun. Though not the real game, throwing around the “pigskin” or the baseball is a dramatic scene that encapsulates the American experience between fathers and sons. But with daughters now wanting to enjoy physical activity through sports, you now have new players to play catch with.
The list of things to do outside on a sunny afternoon is endless. The options provided here involve minimal costs and transportation. If you want to take the kids out to a more engrossing trip that involves a longer drive and more physical activity, be my guest. But if you find the kids sitting on the couch playing Call of Duty or Angry Birds, here are some quick excursions to get them up and going.
Image credit: vastateparksstaff on flickr
