5 reasons to encourage outdoor play in the summer

I love my kids – but they have a tendency to become couch potatoes on a regular basis during the summer. I think they feel like they work hard all school year in academics, sports and music that now they get to have a break. But mama has other ideas, and while they sometimes grump about my telling them to get off the couch and to go outside and play, they usually end up having a great time. We recently got a Color Wave™ Pool, and I knew that my kids would love it. They are water babies at heart, and this is a guaranteed way for me to get them outside playing and having fun. I have limited their TV time to 1 hour and their tablet/screen time to 1 hour – so for the other 10+ active hours of the day they need something to keep them on their toes. We do school at home in the summer, and reading, and I try to plan many fun things like crafts, cooking lessons (taught by myself), music, and other endeavors, but I know that they need to be able to just play and have fun. The pool has been a great ally in helping my kids accomplish this. I don’t need many reasons to encourage outdoor play in the summer, but one of them is for my sanity so I can have 15 minutes of peace and quiet to regain my balance as a mom.

As a parent you need to encourage outdoor play in the summer. Here are 5 reasons why I think it is important:

They need to stay physically active. Not only does this wear them out so they will sleep better, but when they are active I think they have happier dispositions.
Being outdoors allows them to have fun with their imaginations
Give them a chance to explore the world around them and learn from it
Help them start a collection or a book writing down what they learn about the outdoor world they explore and they can make it into a science journal
The sun is good for them and gives them a much needed boost. (It gives them Vitamin D as well as many other benefits)

I send my kids outside as much as possible because I know that they love it. Playing on tablets and watching TV can be nice, but being outside, being active and having fun are far more important and better for them.

My kids are fairly close in age from 4 – 11 years of age, and they sometimes fight like cats and dogs, but often they get a long and have fun. Getting them together to play and enjoy and learn from and about each other is what family is about. They love their new Color Wave™ Pool because they can go out during the day or in the early evening and have fun playing in the water and being silly. I can’t recommend a light up inflatable pool enough. Check out the H2O Go! Color Wave™ Pool for fun during the day and night! Getting light up inflatable kids pools for gifts, family fun and more keep everyone happy and it is something you know they will play with all the time! This one has built-in LED lights around the pool’s edge change colors. It makes them feel so cool!