How to Have Fun and Stay Healthy With Your Kids This Summer

dreamstime_s_199524982.jpg

The sun is staying out longer. You can feel the warmth on your skin. You’re ready to enjoy your summer. While summertime brings with it opportunities for fun and relaxation for you and your kids, you’ll only be able to maximize those opportunities if you are prepared.

Help Them Stay Active

According to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, staying active is the key to staying healthy and happy for a lot of people. But when it comes to staying active, it’s important to remember that staying active can look vastly different for different people. Find the right balance for you and your kids. You may prefer yoga while your kids prefer running or playing soccer or basketball.

Find a way to accommodate these different preferences—going to the park together can be a great way to do this. You can coordinate with the mothers of your children’s friends to meet up at the same time so your kids can play, giving you time to be active in your own way.

Make Sure They Drink Water

Staying active, enjoying the outdoors, and having quality family time are all well and good things. But if you don’t stay hydrated, you could be in for some serious problems. According to Stellar Kids Dentistry, dehydration causes a variety of short-term problems. You could have headaches, dizziness, and sometimes nausea. Over the long term, it can cause other problems. For example, dehydration can cause dry mouth, which can lead to cavity-causing bacteria.

Balance Indoor and Outdoor Time

During the summertime, it’s easy to simply let your kids play video games, board games, or other games with toys inside. But while they need to engage in these kinds of activities, you should also try to make sure that your kids get enough time outside.

According to Intoxicated on Life, being outside has so many great benefits. For one, being outside for at least an hour a day can greatly improve mood. Also, being outside and getting fresh air is good for the body. Finding the right balance for your kids and family will take some time so that kids don’t get too stir crazy or too sunburned.

Summer is an exciting time for everyone—for your kids who don’t have school and for you to be able to enjoy some beautiful weather. But without careful preparation and planning, you may be disappointed in your summer. Making sure to keep tabs on your and your kids’ health while doing summer activities will help everyone have a positive experience.

Read this next: How to Get Your Baby to Experience Outdoor Activities