Physical Activity at Home • Back to the Main Page • Links for home physical activity   Building Physical Activity into your day  An active lifestyle is healthy and fun for the entire family. Active living means building physical activities into your family's routine. We all learn by example. If you spend your evening in front of the TV you won't inspire other family members to be more active. Set an example by making physical activity a priority in your life. Here are some activities to try with the children. Place clear limits on television viewing. Try to restrict viewing to a half-hour per day or one hour every other evening. Explain your rules in positive concrete terms. Try replacing "You can't watch TV" with "Let's turn off the TV so we can…" Take a walk after supper - and make it a "treasure hunt". List 5 - 10 items for each of your children to look for on their walk, a leaf, a twig, a pinecone, etc. Provide a paper bag to hold the loot. Cycle together on a nearby trail. See the Trail Guide for details. Rake the leaves and allow your kids to jump in the piles Dance to your favourite CD in the living room or recreation room Play Frisbee Leave the car at home when going on short trips. Make a kite - Fly it! Have a family basketball game Play sports of any kind. If you have driven your child to a team practice, bring a pair of runners so you can take a walk instead of watching your child for the entire game. Toboggan or ski. Organize neighbourhood games to help kids make active choices. Go for a family swim at your local pool or lake. Organize a parents versus children soccer game in your neighbourhood Walk the dog. Use side walk chalk to play hopscotch. Run through the sprinkler on a hot day. Check out a class like yoga, hip-hop aerobics or gymnastics at your local community centre. Turn the skipping rope for your kids and offer a tune to encourage them. Take a martial arts class with your kids. Physical activity does not have to be hard to benefit your family's health! But it does have to be fun! Links YMCA Canada Home page - This site lists locations and services offered through the YMCA. Ready Set Go - This site lists province-wide and local sports programs available to children and youth. Active Healthy Kids - for tips on how to get your family active. Play Sport - for games and activities that encourage fun, free play while helping kids develop the skills required to participate in all kids of sports High Five - contains information for parents on choosing quality recreation and sport programs. Horse back riding is a great activity for both children and adults. For more information on this topic please check out the Ontario Equestrian Federation website. What is happening in your community? To the top