Outdoor Fun

How hard it it to get your kids off of their tablets and gaming devices to go outside and play?

After a long, cold winter, the habit of remaining indoors is hard to break.

When it's freezing and gets dark at 4:30 it's too easily to slip into bad habits like getting comfy on the couch with a blanket and an iPad or PS/Wii/XBox remote.....or the good old TV.

So from Saturday through yesterday, with three days of great weather in a row, we tracked down all of our favorite beach stuff and ran around in the sand (a great workout, I might add!).

We love the OgoSport MezoDisk (not the mini ones). Even if you're bad at 'regular' frisbee you have a MUCH better shot at being good at throwing and catching this one! I highly recommend you keep this on hand if you have access to a beach or park. We don't use the little balls that come with it....but as a frisbee it is the ultimate fun!

Of course, soccer balls are great, and volleyballs, too.

If you have a good cul-de-sac or dead-end, and some decently smooth pavement, how about some classic fun like a pink rubber ball to bounce around or some hopscotch or hula hoop?

Or, introduce your kids to the art of taking a nice, long walk...and having a (gasp) conversation as the miles go by!

Remind your kids that the nice weather is back. And could stay 'til November or even December if we're lucky! How's THAT for optimistic?

So shake off January, February, and that awful March and get back to being outside! It'll do you and your kids good.

And it's a great chance to connect and enjoy each other's company! Fun for the whole family.

And even if your middle schoolers roll their eyes when you ask them to come out and play, they most likely secretly enjoy the quality time spent with you.

What's your favorite family outdoor fun?