June 30, 2019
by: Cami Peggar
Community Impact Coordinator of Health
United Way of Door County
Keeping kid’s active during summer
When it comes to kids, exercise is extremely important. It helps build their muscles and bones, maintain a healthy body weight, prevents Type 2 Diabetes, reduces stress, improves sleep, and improves mental wellness. When it comes to summertime, it can become what some would consider too hot to do normal physical activities! There are ways to keep your kids cool while still getting them up and active- that solutions is water. Check out some of these fun activities and games that include water.
- Drip, Drip, Drop- Drip, Drip, Drop is played just like duck, duck, goose. Participants sit in a circle with the ‘it’ person on the outside. The it person has a cup of water and every time they pass a person they sprinkle them with water and say drip. When they say Drop’ they dump the remaining water on a participant’s head then run around the circle.
- Paint with water- This a great activity for the sidewalk or driveway. Grab sponges, paintbrushes, & some buckets of water. Let your kiddos “paint”.
- Sprinklers! Get yours out and start running! Don’t have a
sprinkler- turn a plastic bottle into one. Here are instructions: https://www.fantasticfunandlearning.com/diy-sprinklers-kids.html - Water Balloon Piñata- Hang water balloons from a tree. Take turns using a bat or stick to break them open.
- Spray Bottle Freeze Tag- You will need a squirt bottle for each participant filled with water. Choose a child to be ‘it’. The ‘it’ child counts to 10 as everyone else scatters. If someone is squirted by ‘it’ they must freeze in place until squirted by another player. Once everyone becomes frozen change the ‘it’ person.
- Slip and Slide- Get out the slip and slide and get moving. If
you don’t own one, improvise by securing down a plastic tarp. - Beach Day- Go swimming at the beach. Remember to social distance.
