No Couch Potato Kids! How to keep your children active in the summer 

In the carefree months of summer vacation, you’d expect that kids would naturally be drawn to the local pool or running around outside with friends. Instead, they often spend their summers sitting around, engaging in obesity-related behaviors like watching TV, playing video games, and eating sugary snacks and fewer vegetables, according to a study from Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health.  

Although children have returned to their normal levels of pre-pandemic physical activity, the World Health Organization recently reported that kids are not moving enough to be considered healthy. During summer vacation, children lose up to 74% of their cardiovascular fitness. With the laziest time of year for youth upon us, it’s important to think about how your kids will stay busy as temperatures climb.  

Gregg Murset, CEO of BusyKid, recommends that parents take control of the situation, use the following tips to help kids stay active all summer long, and cut down on that phrase parents dread to hear . . .  “I’m bored”.   

Communicate Expectations  

Sit down with your children and lay out a plan, as well as what you expect. Clearly older kids will have more responsibility but that doesn’t mean the little ones get off easy.  

No Laying Around  

Kids need to be active everyday so don’t leave home projects, chores or personal activities for the weekends. Make sure there are a handful of projects to be completed every day.  

Create a Busy Calendar 

Use an online tool like BusyKid to create a “Busy Calendar”. Each day, kids can see what needs to be done and can click projects and activities one at a time. This will help teach them responsibility, accountability, and time management.  

Assign by Strengths  

Different kids are good at different things. Maybe one of your kids hates doing things outside. Maybe another loves the sunshine and fresh air. Besides assigning things by age, look at what they enjoy doing and build the calendar from there.   

Find Balance  

Make sure the “Busy Calendar” has a good balance of chores and fun. For every hour of chores, try to have one hour of another activity where your kids can enjoy themselves. After all, it’s their summer too.  

Reward Success  

If all goes according to plan, your kids will be moving around a bunch this summer and plenty of projects will be done. Make sure to reward them for working hard or staying with the plan. Paying an allowance is a great way to reward your kids and teach them how to save, spend, and invest it wisely.  

Gregg Murset is the co-founder & CEO of BusyKid, and a groundbreaking inventor, father of six, certified financial planner, and consultant who is a major advocate for sound parenting, child accountability and financial literacy. For more information about BusyKid, visit http://www.busykid.com.