Posts tagged ‘outdoor activities with kids’
Chipper Exercise: 8 Fun (FREE!) Family Fitness Activities
Looking for some fun family “workouts” that feel more like play? Check out these simple outdoor activities that will get everyone in your family off the couch and help you bond while burning some calories. Getting active outdoors isn’t only good for your body but also you and your child’s social and emotional wellness. As Chipper likes to say, “Healthy Habits Grow Happy Hearts!” Try a few with mom (or with your kids) to celebrate Mother’s Day this week and have some fun while keeping fit!
1. Hula Hooping
Hula hoops became a hot toy in the late 1950s and are still a lot of fun for families. Hula hooping can burn more than 500 calories an hour — not bad for a $10 piece of plastic! Hoops come in a variety of sizes for children and adults, and weighted hoops for more advanced “hoopers” will give you even more of a workout. Try a little more variation than just the normal standing hula hooping with these 3 Great Hula Hoop Exercises for Kids.
2. Jump Roping
Jumping rope burns an estimated 600 calories an hour. Jump ropes are also cheap, starting under $10. Also, because jump ropes are so portable, parents can pack one in their suitcase for workouts while they travel. Who knows — maybe Dad is a future double dutch champion!
3. Skating and Scooting
Have some old Rollerblades or Razor Scooters hanging out in the garage? You probably forgot how fun some quality time on wheels can be! Dust them off and cruise around the neighborhood or a nearby park with your kids. Kicking along on a scooter is sure to get your heart rate up. And in-line skating burns at least 300 calories an hour for adults. Consider doing a scavenger hunt to keep you moving.
4. Boogying Down
Your family loves singing along with the radio in the car. Why not dance along to the music when you’re at home? Having a family dance party lets parents and kids get silly while also getting some good cardio exercise. Hip hop dancing can burn about 400 calories an hour, so turn up the beats indoors or outside!
5. Playing Frisbee
Frisbee has a cult following, with hundreds of colleges now offering “ultimate Frisbee” (a Frisbee game similar to soccer) as a school sport. Your family could be full of Frisbee champs! With plastic discs starting at $5, it’s worth a try. Frisbee golf is another fun disc game.
6. Walking — or Hiking — with the Dog
What has fur, four legs, and is dying to be your exercise pal? That’s right: the family dog. Studies have shown that owning a dog can make you healthier, in part because you’re likely to take more walks. But if your daily walks have become more like a chore, infuse some fun as well as fitness. Go as a family, pick different routes each night, and throw in some jogging.
7. Playground Playtime
Just as kids love rec time during the school day, they’ll enjoy romping around the playground when school is out of session. When is the last time Dad tried his hand at crossing the monkey bars or doing some pull-ups? And when was Mom last on the swings, pumping her legs to get sky-high? Playgrounds offer fun physical activity for everyone — even if you’re just chasing the kids around.
8. Tag, You’re It, and Other Outdoor Games
Tag, kickball, wiffle ball, kickball… you name it! Neighborhood games may be waning in the digital age, but they’re as fun as ever and hopefully due for a comeback. Challenge your family members to some friendly competition, and enjoy the great outdoors like it’s the good ol’ days. Here are some great ideas from Chipper!
Chipper Activities: 10 Fun Outdoor Activities for Kids During Winter
Winter doesn’t have to mean chilly afternoons huddled indoors all day. Instead, bundle up the kids for some fun outdoor winter activities (and exercise!) that will get their hearts pumping!
Just because it’s cold outside doesn’t mean that you and your little ones shouldn’t bundle up for some winter fun! Knowing the right outdoor activities for winter days (and nights!) is the first step to having a healthy, active winter. “I think it’s important to make fitness a part of your child’s life from the youngest of age. The best way for them to learn it is for you to model it. Do a stroller workout and/or take your baby to a mommy and me fitness class. They will see that Mom likes to exercise,” says Lisa Druxman, creator of Stroller Strides.
Dr. Fatima S. Khan, pediatrician with Rush-Copley Medical Center and an assistant professor in the department of pediatrics at Rush University Medical College in Chicago says that keeping active all year round is an absolute must for families. “This is very important. The No. 1 reason for the childhood obesity epidemic is due to physical inactivity and spending too much time in front of TV or computer games,” says Dr. Khan. This can get especially common during the winter months when we can use the cold as an excuse to stay indoors.
Things to know before playing outside in the winter
Ready to tear your kids away from the games and get them outside for winter activities? Here are a few things to know:
- Before heading outside, make sure that your kids are bundled up to be warm. You should bundle up too. Be sure to wear gloves, coats and warm socks, along with weather-appropriate footwear.
- Be aware of the signs of frostbite in kids. If your child complains of aching pain or numbness, most often to their extremities (hands, feet or ears) or their skin feels hard/waxy with a white color, come inside immediately and follow these instructions.
- Don’t worry, playing outside won’t make them sick. Dr. Khan says that the idea that going outside in the cold will give you a cold is nothing more than an old wives’ tale. “Just going outside doesn’t make people catch colds. Of course, they should be appropriately dressed… and if it’s really cold, like we get in Chicago, staying inside is better,” says Dr. Khan. However, Dr. Khan does say that if someone has been exposed to the cold virus, then being in the cold weather can make the cold come on faster.
- Stay hydrated. Just like any other time of the year, it’s important that you and your kids drink enough. “Don’t forget to bring water, even when the weather is chilly,” says Mindy Pierce, director of programming for Sport & Health Clubs.
Want more? Check out 4 safety tips during winter sports >>
1) Build a snowman
Do you remember rolling the snow into balls to create three parts for a special snowman? It was a lot of fun, but that’s not all. Making a snowman is also awesome exercise. “Moving all that snow around takes a lot of work,” says mom Alethea Smock, whose kids are ages 3 and 5.
2) Bubble time
You might associate blowing bubbles with sundresses, bare feet and green grass. But in the winter time, it takes on a whole new (and fun!) dimension. “My kids’ favorite is blowing bubbles on freezing days and watching them turn into ice bubbles — they look amazing,” says Sam’n Iqbal, a parent educator and mother of three.
3) Shoveling help
It goes without saying that shoveling snow is hard work. It’s also awesome exercise — even for kids. Pick up a kid-sized shovel and have them help out by clearing a path in the snow, or digging to make fun patterns. Afterwards, they can look from second story windows to see their winding snow walks!
4) Geocaching
The mere mention of the word ‘treasure’ is guaranteed to light up kids’ eyes. So, why not take them on a real-life treasure hunt with geocaching? People use global positioning devices and the internet to seek out items hidden by others. “When my guys were 12 and 13 it was fun to do geocaching where you find people’s hidden items via internet clues and GPS. It’s done all over the world [and] it’s fun to hide items too,” says mom of two, Kerri Hopkins. Hopkins said that from her experience, this is best for the age 11 to 13 crowd.
Want to try it? Check out Geocaching.com for help.
5) Look for animal tracks
Whenever it snows, it sets the stage for an ultra-fun family activity: Tracking animals. Grab a camera and your kids and check out the animal tracks in your freshly fallen snow. Take photos too, so you can compare them to photos of animal tracks later.
Mom Rebecca P. Cohen of RebeccaPlants.com, who is the spokesmom for the National Wildlife Federation’s Be Out There movement, says that although she has a book for IDing tracks, the internet is her preferred tool. “Most of the time we just do a quick internet search when we get inside for animal tracks pictures. It’s a fun way to ‘investigate’ the mystery of which animal track you saw and to get used to looking up answers to questions together. Outside time definitely piques kids’ curiosity and they have lots of questions. So looking up questions with your child on the internet is a great way to learn together,” says Cohen.
6) Flashlight tag
Love the game of tag? Flashlight tag is like the fun classic game, except players tag each other with beams of light, instead of hands. “We started playing flash tag just by stepping outside at night with our flashlights in winter and the kids started flashing their flashlights and chasing each other,” says Cohen.
So, how does she keep track in the dark? “I’m pretty specific with them about where they can play and I stay with them for flash tag,” says Cohen.
7) Sledding
Going down the hill is the most fun part, for sure. But the trek back up to go again? That is by far the best for your kid’s body (and yours too!). Pick up a sled, available at most major retailers like Target and Walmart, and head out for some wintery fun the next time it snows.
8) Ice skating
Whether your kids are little or big, ice skating can be a ton of fun. With the winter Olympics just around the corner, kids will love the idea of trying out this major winter sport. Did you know that many ice rinks even have special contraptions to help little kids stay standing while learning to skate? Buy or rent skates for the whole family and give it a whirl (or a triple axel!).
9) Skiing/snowboarding
Have mountain, will ski. Skiing and snowboarding are fun wintertime activities. Find a nearby mountain, rent some gear and try out a lesson or two for the kids (and yourself, if you aren’t experienced). If you like it, one or both could be an awesome winter sport for the family to enjoy.
10) Hiking
Think hiking is just for warm weather? Think again. “Discover local trails. Even around a large metropolitan area, many hidden trails can be found,” says Pierce. Moms agree that winter hiking can be just as fun as warm weather hiking. “We have three daughters, aged 14, 12 and 4. We live in the Denver area, and every weekend our family (including the dog) goes hiking in the mountains, usually in the Boulder-Lyons area, sometimes closer to Estes Park/Rocky Mountain National Park,” says Sherry Knecht. Knecht’s family hikes all year, except when the weather is just too brutal.
Let’s Go Chipper into the Great Outdoors this Winter!
Chipper Parenting Tips: Lead By Example to Get Kids Outdoors
There are so many ways for you and your family to embrace nature in the comping new year! It is close at hand, whether it’s a the park or the playground, on your balcony, in your window box, in the yard, on the boulevard, or even growing in the sidewalk cracks. You just have to take the time to notice it! Whether kids are collecting fallen leaves, catching snowflakes for the first time, or playing in the waves at the beach, there is beauty and wonder in watching them discover the world around them.
One thing kids don’t need too much to enjoy nature is guidance. Encourage even the youngest children to explore whatever attracts them, then stand back and let them do it. One way to get you and the kids out and enjoying the great outdoors is leading by example.If you want your kids to value nature and to discover for themselves how amazing the natural world can be, from rolling in the dirt, to rolling down a grassy bank or finding slimy banana slugs after it rains, nothing sends a stronger message than if they see you out there enjoying yourself. So step outside at every opportunity! Get out side for 1 hour per day (schedule a “green hour” daily to make nature a habit!) by making a sandcastle, making a snow angel, or just rubbing your toes in the grass. Enthusiasm is contagious!
Follow by example, too. Most grown-ups can learn something from kids. They are receptive to new things and can see things in a different light. They are naturally curious. Be receptive and curious too and see the world a-new! That is one of the greatest gifts our children can bring us so take advantage of their youthful eyes. Ask questions and encourage them to do so as well. Nothing is more valuable than learning to question everything! If you don’t know the answer, admit it and then look it up together. Or make up a fun answer: This seaweed is monster hair! These rocks are from the walls of an ancient castle! These embellishments make the outdoors fun and mysterious. Try this fun game of Follow the Leader: Find a creek, pond, park or any place with lots of life. Appoint a leader of the kids and follow him or her (you can switch off by day or time who the leader will be). If he stops to turn over a log to see what’s beneath it, everyone else looks too. If he throws stones into the lake, so do the rest of you. If he digs in the mud and gets his pants dirty–don’t hold back! A little dirt is good for the soul 
Let’s Go Chipper into the Great Outdoors today!
Chipper Tips: Get Outdoors Daily!
The National Wildlife Federation recommends that parents give their kids a daily green hour–time set aside every day to play outside and interact with the natural world. This time should be unstructured (no rules) and fun! If kids are reluctant or want to play their video games instead, show then how fun it is by joining them. Have them collect natural artifacts and discuss them or listen and identify all the sounds you hear outside! Get to know local tress and animals so you can test each other. There’s so much fun to be had outdoors if you just get them out there!
Even on a rainy day, you can still get out and play together as long as you’re dressed for the weather. As E.E. Cummings wrote, the world is “mud-luscious” and “puddle-wonderful.” Being prepared to go out doors is always a good idea! Chipper has lots of great tips and activities to try outdoors in past and future blogs or check out GreenHour.org. In 2007, the National Wildlife Federation launched GreenHour.org, an online resource providing parents the inspiration and tools to make the outdoors a part of daily life. There are many ideas there to inspire you and the kids!
Scheduling your green hour with another family can also help you time manage. Arrange a regular “Outdoors Date” with one or two other families with kids around the same age. Depending on weather and the ages and interests of your participants, this could be as simple as meeting at the playground every week or month, or something heartier, like a series of hikes or an ongoing flag football game. Do the same thing every meeting or let a different participant choose each meetings activity. Or just let the kids play with no plan! The important thing is that once it’s on the calendar, and others are depending on you, you’re less likely to make excuses and skip it. Make it a family affair by inviting grandparents, cousins, and other family members to join in. Nature is a great place to connect with family and enjoy each others time. Let’s Go Chipper into the Great Outdoors today!
Chipper Adventures: Miwok Trail Nature Exploration
Celebrate Take it Outside Week with Chipper! THIS WEEK, October 14-20, and every third week of every October marks a time to celebrate the natural world and encourage educators, families and caregivers to make time outdoors an important part of young children’s daily lives. Let’s Go Chipper with Head Start Body Start and get into the great outdoors this week!
Ms. pollack enlightening us about Laurel Trees
Last week we had a Chipper Adventure with Ms. Janet Pollack from the Neil Cummins Elementary School in Corte Madera, CA. Ms. Pollack teaches 3rd Grade and was the science specialist at her school for 12 years. This is her third year using JASON, a non-profit organization that connects students to real science and exploration to inspire and motivate them to study and pursue careers in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) fields. She often incorporates nature in the classroom and taught her current 3rd grade class all about the Miwoks, Native Americans who once lived along the coast that is now Marin, last week.
Ms. Pollack teaching the kids about the uses of reeds!
The kids had a ton of fun learning about the local flora and fauna while walking along the Miwok Trail. Chipper made sure to teach everyone this phrase before they headed outside: Tail on the Trail and Leave No Trace! The class explored all their senses as they familiarized themselves with the Laurel trees and how Bay nuts smell and taste just like pepper! While studying the Miwok’s environment, the children searched for acorns and learned to track and hunt deer just like the first indigenous peoples did. During hands-on workshop, everyone sang some Miwok Songs and learned one can make rope–or small boats–using reeds! They also created hand made pump drills, designed the same way it’s been used for hundreds of years, and practiced how to use them.
Acorns!
Taking the classroom outside makes learning so much fun! Nature is so important to a child’s mental, physical and spiritual development and “pushing our kids out the door may be the best way to save the planet.”- David Suzuki
Watch our video of the days events and get inspired:
Let’s Go Chipper and take the class outside!
Chipper Activities: Outdoor October Scavenger Hunt!
October is officially here! Fall leaves are starting to change colors and the little ones are already planning their Halloween costumes. One great way to celebrate the change in season is to take a walk with your family or friends to look for Autumn leaves of different shapes and sizes. Nature walks are perfect to explore your senses my taking in all the various sounds, smells and colors. These moments in a natural environment are more priceless than you think.
According to one study, the average American boy or girl spends just four to seven minutes in unstructured outdoor play each day, and more than seven hours each day in front of an electronic screen! Our kids are out of shape, tuned out and stressed out, because they’re missing something essential to their health and development: connection to the natural world. That’s why Chipper encourages parents and their kids to get outdoors and improve the well-being of their mind, body, and spirit!
“Outdoor Play, Incorporating Animistic and Magical Thinking Is Important Because It: Fosters the healthy, creative and emotional growth of a child; Forms the best foundation for later intellectual growth; Provides a way in which children get to know the world and creates possibilities for different ways of responding to it; Fosters empathy and wonder.”
- Rachel Carson, “A Sense of Wonder”
One way to connect your kids with the natural world and get them exploring outside is a Nature Scavenger Hunt! Now there are many ways to do this and we encourage you to get creative depending on your environment, whether it’s your backyard or thh schoolyard! One fun way to run a nature scavenger hunt is to hand out a recycled egg carton and a list of 12 items to collect. For example, natural items which are: soft, spiky, blue, strong, beautiful, old, fragile, yummy, sharp, smooth, closed, open, wet, dry, from an animal, etc. Since it’s fall, you could have a list of colors and have the children find a leaf for each!
Not only will this outdoor activity make your little ones really take a close look around, they will have a ton of fun and notice things about their natural environment that they never noticed before. A scavenger hunt is a wonderful way to spark their interests outside and encourage them to be more observant. Don’t forget to bring along your camera and enter your best Fall photo in Chipper’s Photo Contest!
What kinds of activities or games do you like to play outside? Let’s Go Chipper into the Great Outdoors this Fall!
Chipper Crafts: Bruce the Banana Slug
Although characterized by its bright yellow hue, the Banana Slug is also found with dark brown/black spots which give it the appearance of an overripe Banana…There goes Bruce, trying to impersonate a banana again!
If you’re living or teaching in a place without many slugs, try making some paper banana slugs (as seen above) and use glue for his shiny, slimy trail! Or, gather some supplies and try this fun Snail Craft with your kids! They are cute and can help explain the difference between snails and slugs: SnaiLS have ShelLS : )
What you will need:
- Pipe Cleaners
- Tiny Googly Eyes
- White Glue
- Small pompoms (Optional)
- Adhesive Pin Backs (Optional)
1. Start at the center of the snail’s shell. Bend down the end of the pipe cleaner and roll the pipe cleaner into a spiral shape until you are happy with the size.
2. Then bring the pipe cleaner straight out from the spiral shape and bend it back the same direction. Cut off the excess pipe cleaner and glue the end to the back of the snail’s shell.
3. To make the tentacles fold a piece of pipe cleaner in half, cut it to the right size and glue the folded end to the back of the snail’s body.
4. Glue tiny pompoms to the end of the tentacles or roll up another piece of pipe cleaner for each eye. Glue small googly eyes to the pompoms or rolled up pipe cleaner.
5. You can stick an adhesive pin back to the back of the snail to make a broach. Or make a pencil topper by winding up a piece of pipe cleaner around a pencil and gluing the spiral to the back of the snail. Or you can just glue a piece of pipe cleaner to the back and use it to attach to a stick to make a cute planter decoration!
Break It Down with Bruce!
The funny and interesting look of the Banana slug has made it a popular animal and the University of Santa Cruz in California has even made it their official mascot. Now that’s some slug love! If you still aren’t feeling the love, you could always dress up like a giant banana slug and do a tribute dance….
Chipper for Parks: Yosemite National Park
“Climb the mountains and get their good tidings. Nature’s peace will flow into you as sunshine into trees.”
-John Muir
Yosemite Valley
We are definitely Chipper for Parks! Parks are places for us to clear our minds and enjoy our surrounding. They are places for our kids to free their imaginations and explore nature! Stretching over 1,200 square miles (761,268 acres) of central California, Yosemite National Park is one the largest and oldest parks in America. With almost 4 million visitors each year, it is also one of the most frequented parks in the country. It’s no wonder why so many people travel from far and wide to visit if you have ever been lucky enough to visit before. The park’s forests of Redwoods and Sequoias and it’s huge valley’s filled with waterfalls and gigantic rock formations are awe-inspiring indeed.
When famous conservationist, John Muir, arrived to Yosemite in 1868 from his beautiful home land of Scotland, he was changed for life and inspired others to visit this magical place, leading the area’s way towards being a National Park. He also spurred scientific interest and was one of the first to theorize that the major landforms in Yosemite Valley were created by large alpine glaciers. After President Theodore Roosevelt visited Yosemite in 1903 to visit John Muir, he said, “”It was like lying in a great solemn cathedral, far vaster and more beautiful than any built by the hand of man.”
Mirror Lake
Yosemite is full of opportunities for fun activities in the great outdoors! Explore Yosemite by hiking or biking. Spend some time with a park ranger learning about Yosemite or get a broad overview by taking a bus tour. You can teach your children to give back to the planet and help Yosemite by volunteering for a few hours (Memorial Day to Labor Day).
Your kids will love becoming apart of the historical Junior Ranger or Little Cub! The Junior Rangers reach back to the Yosemite Junior Nature School, organized in June 1930 and lasting until 1954. In 2010, more than 24,000 children became Yosemite Junior Rangers (up from 6,000 in 2007). Learn more about Junior Rangers with these links. 
Consider visiting the Nature Center at Happy Isles (summer only) or the Yosemite Valley Visitor Center for interactive exhibits.
Don’t forget to earn your FREE Chipper for Parks Badge on your next park visit by posting a picture of you and your tot in nature on Chipper’s Facebook Page, or give back to a park of your choice– in your name– when you purchase a badge here!
The Yosemite Guide has information about all scheduled activities and hours of operation for services.
Visit here for more information on this national treasure.
Are You Chipper for Parks?
Are you Chipper For Parks? If so, join us in raising awareness and necessary funds to support programs – from local playgrounds
Chipper’s interactive work book!
to our national park systems. Due to continued government cutbacks funds are being diverted and parks and playgrounds are being closed. Chipper and friends are on a mission to connect and celebrate with families and communities across the country.
Help kids earn their badge by stepping onto a new path! A path that connects and provides everyone with an opportunity to play, explore, and learn about our parks and environment.
By purchasing the Chipper For Parks badge you are helping raise funds which will directly support:
- Educational programs for schools and communities, underserved children and all families
- Conservation and revitalization programs – from clearing trails to planting flowers and trees, to the repair and maintenance
- Sustainability programs – keep the parks open!
Chipper for Parks Badge! Connect • Celebrate • Conserve
Chipper For Parks Badge: $5
Includes Chipper Kit filled with play-based ideas to help educate and connect in your schools and communities.
Click Here to purchase one today and start supporting our parks!
The Chipper For Parks badge is a colorful, embroidered, iron on patch made in the USA. Wear your badge proudly and encourage other kids to join Chipper’s path to the great outdoors.
Proceeds will directly benefit educational and community programs, trail maintenance and keeping our parks open. You can leave a park name and we will contribute directly in your name. Up to $2.50 of each purchase will directly support programs.
Your Chipper For Parks badge also includes a kit of ideas and activities you can launch in your classroom or community. Come together to help our park systems.
Stay connected and learn how we are all making a difference through our daily updates and blogs. If you would like to become a true Chipper Ambassador, let us know at your time of purchase and we will get you ready to go into the great outdoors – leading a new generation of children and families onto a path to happiness and health.
Let’s Go Chipper!
Chipper for Parks: Family Camping this Summer
There’s nothing like spending time with the family around the camp fire under the open sky. Camping gives us all a retreat from the crazy, busy pace of our daily lives and gives us time to reflect and connect with your children. A little fresh air does wonders to
a depressed teenager or a grumpy 4 year old. Take a nature walk and collect some rocks and leaves or just laze by a stream and watch the butterflies flutter by. There is no limit to the fun you can find when exploring our parks open spaces.
Join Chipper in supporting our Park Systems this summer by visiting and camping at our State and National Parks. Get out there and have your own adventure at one of our 279 State Parks. Click HERE to find parks with available sites and reserve your spot to start enjoying the great outdoors! Our noble Park Ranger’s can use all the support they can get with budget cuts and closures happening left and right. Donate in your name to any park of your choice when your purchase our Chipper for Parks Badge. Nothing inspires and benefits you and your children quite like nature and parks are the safest, easiest place to reconnect with our beautiful planet. Where will you go for your next camping adventure?
