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5 Ways to Get Your Kids Active This Spring

Filed Under: BLOG, kids books, lists, Sponsored Posts, spring Tagged With: , , , , ,

*I received a digital copy of Rachel’s Day in the Garden: A Kids Yoga Spring Colors Book for my honest review here.

After months of playing indoors, it has been easy for my own kids to get used to their favorite spot on our couch, playing video games, on the iPad or just watching TV. But it is finally spring time.  With it comes, warmer temperatures, nicer overall weather and more reasons to get the kids outdoors to play, exercise and be more active overall.

5 Ways to Get Your Kids Active This Spring

Here are 5 ways to Get All Kids Active this Spring…

1. Play a game.

There are countless outdoor games that are relatively inexpensive and easy to play. A few to mention are as follows: hide and go seek, jump rope, hop scotch, dodge ball, or paint balls for kids like “gel ball gun” games and even tag

2. Plant a garden.

Spring time is the time for planting, flowers, veggies and more.  So, why not get outdoors and plant a garden that can keep you invested from the spring months and beyond. Depending on what you do plant, you may end up getting not just a pretty view, but possibly even some healthy treats to feast on once they do grow.

3. Go a scavenger hunt.

Here is another fun way to enjoy the outdoors, but also be active.  In the spring, it is quite easy to do a nature scavenger hunt even in your own backyard.  You can look for things like leaves, flowers, birds and more.  Here is a great page that shares how to go about doing a scavenger hunt with all kids.

4.  Get them to do outdoor chores.

Fun times can be had, but since it is spring you may need to actually do a bit of spring cleaning outdoors by possibly raking leaves that never were raked back in the fall or just a simple once over cleanup to get your yard in shape for as much outdoor fun that will take place in the upcoming months.  So why not have your young ones help with these outdoor chores.

5. Try something new.

Since it is spring and a time of rebirth and new things to come, why not try something new that could be fun and lend for a bit of active exercise, such as Outdoor Yoga.  

The perfect way to get started with this is by reading Rachel’s Day in the Garden: A Kids Yoga Spring Colors Book, by Giselle Shardlow, who is is the author of Kids Yoga Stories. Her yoga books for kids get children learning, moving, and having fun by drawing from her experiences as a teacher, traveler, yogi, and mom to write further yoga stories which can be found at www.kidsyogastories.com/store or on Amazon worldwide.

Rachel's Day in the Garden

Rachel’s Day in the Garden helps kids learn yoga even at a young age (ages 3-6), also helps all with movement and is just so much fun for the whole family, especially during the spring time now.  

Some of the actual benefits of yoga for young kids are as follows:

  • increases strength and flexibility
  • helps them relax, unwind, and calm down to reduce stress and anxiety
  • helps them sleep better
  • promotes interaction between adult and child, and between multiple children
  • improves their fine and gross motor skills, as well as their coordination
  • develops self-confidence, self-expression, and body awareness
  • promotes a healthy, active lifestyle

What I loved about it is as you read each page, you are introduced to a new yoga pose, such as the Tree Pose while using items in nature and getting to act it out outdoors.  Not only is this so much fun, but it also encourages all of our imaginations in the process. In the book, kids get to join Rachel as she and her adorable puppy look for signs of spring in the garden, all while getting to crawl like a caterpillar, buzz like a bee, and flutter like a butterfly. Honestly just a wonderful way to discover spring, explore movement, and learn the colors of the rainbow, too!

[Tweet “Want to get your kids active outdoors this #spring @kidsyogastories”]

Get your copy now at Amazon in Paperback and Kindle, too.

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About Janine

Janine is a published author of the books, The Mother of All Meltdowns and Only Trollops Shave Above the Knee. She has been featured on The Huffington Post, Mamapedia, Today Parenting Team and SheKnows. She also runs her own graphic design company at J9 Designs.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  2. Cynthia says

    Running an after school program, YES – this is what I do. Hehe.
    I admit that I thought you said, “Rachel Ray” up there and I was like, dang, I know somebody famous – YOU! Ah well, you’re still getting famous. Hehe.
    I’m getting back on the blogging bandwagon, though. Ima gonna see what I can do to try to give it a go and make a living at it. We’ll see where it leads me. 😉
    Have a wonderful Wednesday!

    • Janine says

      That is awesome Cyndi and have no doubt you will make money and be successful getting back into blogging now. So excited for you and thank you always for being a wonderful friend to me. Happy Wednesday right back at you now!! 🙂

  5. Susanne / The Dusty Parachute says

    What a sweet book – I love it! I also like your suggestions – especially the yard chores. I was shocked to discover that my kids will fight over who gets to rake (although it usually only lasts about 10 minutes.) 😉 Now, if we could just get it to stop raining in Texas, we could finally go back outside again!

    • Janine says

      I got fingers crossed that the rain stops. We actually got a reprieve here he last few days in NY, but sure more will come before it is all said and done this spring. And love that your kids actually fight over raking! 🙂

  6. Diane Roark says

    Janine,

    What an adorable book! I was hanging on to every word and so was my son Caleb. He loved it. You have discovered a new job too. READING CHILDREN’S BOOKS. I love listening to your video.

    Thanks for sharing this cute story,
    Diane

  7. Tamara says

    The book looks so great! My kids do occasional yoga and it makes a difference.
    We are all about the gardening. That’s the thing Scarlet likes over anything iPad or iPhone related.

  12. April G says

    My kids want a garden, but I have a brown thumb and I don’t even know where to start in our HOA property. I would love to have some fresh veggies and herbs. But this summer will come with new goals and new trials as I become a homeschooling parent.

  13. Bill says

    Just finished my other job and now frantically trying to catch up. I only have one comment, another suggestion for keeping your kids active….bring them to our urban farm and I’ll put them to work. 🙂 Happy Hump Day, Janine!

  15. Maria says

    Love these tips, Janine! You’re absolutely right: going outdoors when the weather gets warmer is a must! This book is interesting as well. I’ve heard of yoga for kids and this is a great way to get them started. Thanks so much for joining us this week on #shinebloghop! Hope you’re having a great week 🙂

  16. Jen says

    It is starting to get right hot here now, but you bet ya that we have been outside moving and playing for months now. I love this book! I am going to need to get a copy. Thanks for sharing!

  17. catherine gacad says

    my son could spend 24/7 outdoors. we don’t even have to make up a game. as long as he is outside, that’s all that matters! but i know as he gets older and wants to play on the computer, we will have to do these suggestions!

  18. Rea says

    Love the idea of kids’ yoga! I just hope against hope that it won’t be too hot here in the coming months anymore so that we can “possibly” go out and explore outside. Unfortunately, we can’t do outdoor fun so much in this sweltering heat. LOL. Wish we have Spring season here too! 😉

  21. Kristi Campbell says

    It’s starting to be nice here too and we’ve been going outside an riding (well Tucker has) his scooter every night. I appreciate the reminder too, being on my computer and phones all day either at work or for blogging. It’s nice to just sit and see the moon. I love your graphic for this post by the way!

  22. Diana says

    Outdoor Chores! Love it! I was just wandering around my backyard today and it was covered in the remnants of winter….winter clothes, a random plate, toys that had recently been uncovered! Oy Vey! I got plenty to keep the kids outside this Spring. And my kids would love this book too!

  23. Leslie says

    Love this list! Our girls were pent up so long that they’ve been outside to play nearly every day that’s been warm enough for it. Agreed on getting them involved in the gardening and love the idea of a scavenger hut, too!

  25. Jenny @ Unremarkable Files says

    In the spring and summer months, the kids and I have “outside work” time. Every day we set a timer for 30 minutes and do a job outside, usually weeding because we have a lot of yard and more weeds than grass! It feels good to get outside, even if we are all working.
    #happynowlinkup

  26. Pamela Shank says

    WHAT A GREAT REVIEW and ideas. Kids really need to play outside more for so many reasons. I think I will send each of my daughters a copy of this book, it is really cute. o a lot of scavenger hunts with my grandchildren and they love them.

  27. Debbie says

    Hi Janine, Rachel’s Day In The Garden sounds like the perfect book for getting children out of hibernation and back outside. Playing out door games and doing fun chores sound good, but a book encouraging fun and exercise is a winner. Children love books and exploring outside through Rachel’s eyes, will probably go down better than Mum telling them to get outside.

    xx

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