Sprite asked Mom Bloggers to suggest some “fun and active family activities” in conjunction with their parks project (info. below).  Spring/summer is a great time to think about getting outside & staying active as a family.  With spring sports in full gear, many families are over-programmed (including ours), so it’s great to think about creative ways to enjoy the outdoors together.  Here are some…

  1. Make a Personal Passport to Local Parks.  I’ve met some inspiring athletes who try to do a 5K or Marathon in every state – how about having your kids make a list of the parks near you, and try to visit every park by summer’s end.  It’s great, free fun, and many parks have additional attractions to enjoy (outdoor concerts, etc.).
  2. Walk after dinner.  After a great trip to NYC, our kids realized that we spend so much time in our minivan, that we don’t walk nearly as much as people in big cities.  That prompted some great after-dinner walks which were a great way to end the day…together…outside!
  3. Explore new sports.  There are tons of creative sports you can enjoy as a family – ideally outdoors, but even inside on a rainy day.  Batting cages, rock climbing, hikes, boating.  You don’t need to own expensive equipment to enjoy yourselves; think about renting to “try before you buy.”
  4. Consider lightly used equipment.  There are lots of great ways to get sports equipment or attire that is “lightly used” – consider EBay, CraigsList, or a local sports consignment shop.
  5. Take turns being the “family coach.” Let your kids take turns planning an active outing once a week; they’ll be more excited about participating and may come up with ideas you hadn’t even considered.

The Spark Parks Project (from 4/1 through 6/30/2011) is an ongoing effort by Sprite to refresh parks, playgrounds and active spaces across the nation. When it comes to supporting today’s youth, we don’t play around.  To learn more about current projects and discover ways you can get actively involved, visit Sprite Parks.  Green tabs can be found in specially marked packages of Sprite and Sprite Zero.  More info. at SpriteGreenTabs.

Disclosure: Compensation was provided by Sprite via Glam Media.  The opinions expressed herein are those of the author and are not indicative of the opinions or positions of Sprite.