Extending Outside Play (Despite Back to School)
Thank you CLIF Kid for sponsoring this post. Be sure to check out the new CLIF Kid Zbar Filled and encourage your kids to get outside and play!
Back to school makes play time outside a bit more challenging, and a lot more limited - but the truth is, this is my MOST favorite time to be playing outside! The weather is finally cooler and it's not so humid out. So, I have to get a bit more creative with fitting it into our busy schedule, and take advantage of the limited remaining light nights we have left.
During the week, I like to encourage my kids to spend the evening outside instead of watching TV or making a huge mess inside. So, I wanted to share my tricks to maximizing that time outside!
1. Grill out! I love using the grill for dinner - from roasted veggies, kabobs, burgers, chicken, corn on the cob, etc, etc (though I'm still working on mastering salmon...). I take full advantage of the weather that allows for us to use our grill, and really - it's way easier and less messy than cooking inside. Plus, this allows for us to be outside, and if we're outside, so are the kids!
2. Tide them over! To be able to actually cook meals and use the grill once we all get home (vs. plopping something quick/less healthy in front of my kids for dinner), I lean on a CLIF Kid Zbar Filled to tide them over. Zbar Filled is snacking made fun – the first and only organic, soft-baked snack bar with smooth, creamy nut butter filling that delights my kids, and something I feel good about giving them.
That's because CLIF Kid filled with the good stuff, nutritious ingredients like oats and nut butters, certified USDA organic and non-GMO, and free from ingredients that we, as parents, are looking to avoid, like high fructose corn syrup and artificial flavors. My kids like to each pick out a different flavor, and then try each others. :)
3. Finding games the kids can play together without always having adults in the mix (so we can cook dinner, or the other million things we all still need to do + I love to sit back and just watch my kids play together - haha!). One "game" my kids are totally get into for more than 30 minutes at a time is "American Ninja Warrior." Haha, basically they grab all the random toys and things from our outdoor storage box and create obstacles, and then see how fast they can go through them.
We also like to play "Freeze!" I tell them to dance, wiggle, jump, skip, etc (anything to get them moving), and then yell "Freeze!" and they have to stop and hold their pose. They think it's pretty funny, and definitely like to make us laugh with their silly poses (like wiggling their bums my direction).
4. Walk it out. I love going on walks, but the super hot of summer makes that outside activity unbearable. Both of my kids are really into bike riding, too, so sometimes we take this show on the road. I like event just walking around the block (or jogging to keep up with them on their bikes).
5. Eat dinner outside! Whether or not we cook it outside, we still love to use our patio furniture to bring meal time outside. This way, when the kids are done, they can keep playing outside, while we finish and clean up dinner. Just being in fresh air keeps us going!
I was selected for this opportunity as a member of CLEVER and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.
