According to the CDC, 17% of children are now considered obese, a statistic that has tripled in just one generation! Getting children outside and off the computer and television is one way to combat childhood obesity. I’m excited that my family has joined the GoGo Gang in an effort to encourage families to get outside and enjoy some outdoor fun!
When I was a child I played outside almost every single day. I remember looking forward to summer because the rule in my house was you had to come in when the street light came on. During the summer months the street light didn’t come on until close to 9pm! Summer meant extra time outside playing with friends.
While there were many fun games I played with my neighborhood friends, my favorite was “Olympics.” Growing up in Florida ice skating was not something we did very often, if ever, so we were all fascinated by the winter Olympic Games. After watching we would put on our roller skates (yes skates, not blades I’m old) and set up courses to race and work on our “figure skating” routines.
I can remember getting those red plastic cups from the pantry so we could use them to skate around and practice our moves. We would bring my dad’s clock radio on the front porch and listen to the radio, hoping one of our favorite songs would be played.
As an adult I always hoped my children would have a similar childhood experience when it came to imaginative outdoor play. While my kids have not grown up in Florida, they’ve moved around quite a bit, I’m excited that they enjoy playing outside until dark and coming up with fun games to play with siblings and friends.
Since I have boys, many of their outdoor games were not suitable to share on the site, since I didn’t want to be liable for broken bones or sprains. (My boys play rough). But they do have a few games that are great for large families, parties, or gatherings.
One of their favorites is called AirBorn. Here is a peek.
If your children are younger you can play this game with those inexpensive beach balls instead of frisbees. We’ve even played this game with beanie babies! This is a great game to play while you are at the park or beach, or even in your front yard if you want to continually stop traffic, like we did while filming. 🙂
The folks at GoGo squeeZ want to encourage families to get outside and have fun this summer! GoGo squeeZ is 100% fruit, gluten free, dairy free, and kosher with no refined sugar! It’s packaged in convenient re-sealable pouches with a built-in straw and requires no refrigeration. It’s perfect for road trips, field trips, beach trips or anytime you are on the go. My kids’ favorite flavor is applesauce, which is no surprise considering that’s their fruit of choice most days!
I’ll be back next month with a fun giveaway from GoGo squeeZ plus information on how GoGo squeez is helping local communities get outside and have fun!
Disclosure: I was provided a stipend for my time and materials used in this post.
is a great resource for parents and young children.
