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Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development
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Live It

Make Family Time Active Time

You might think that the goal for children to be moderately physically active for 60 minutes seems like a lot of time. Life does get in the way, but it doesn't have to.

Make getting more physical activity a family project. Encourage everyone to think of fun things to do to get up and moving, get off the sofas, and away from the screens—especially doing things as a family.

There are hundreds of ways to enjoy physical activity together as a family.

  • Bike to the library together
  • Walk or bike to your children's sports events to cheer for them
  • Have your children come to your sports events and cheer for you
  • Celebrate special occasions—birthdays, anniversaries—with something active, such as a hike, a volleyball game, a Frisbee™ match
  • Train together for a charity walk or run

Keep a family activity log

Encourage everyone in the family to take part and keep up the good work by posting a physical activity log on the refrigerator.

Print out a copy of a sample daily activity log (PDF Format, 176K, Download Adobe Reader).

Everyday ideas to rev up activity

Encourage every member of your family to increase daily physical activity. Think of ways to have fun and be physically active at the same time. Here are some everyday ideas to rev up activity.

 

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