As a child and family educator for over 43 years, it's my business to make things easy and fun. Here are 3 of my favorite duff busting tried and true family activities that you'll actually be able to get your family to agree on without too much arm twisting.
number one
Bike to music! Take a family bike ride and make the destination a musical event. It could be a city festival, a coffee shop, karaoke or music of any kind. Let family members take turns picking the music and practice appreciation and tolerance for each other's tastes.
number two
Swim! Make it a bigger physical challenge than usual by biking or walking to a beach or a pool as a family. Do this on a hot day and it's particularly rewarding. Even a trek to an indoor pool in winter can be a lot of fun. Water is a natural stress reliever that we can take advantage of.
number three
Dance Party! This is great for rainy days but can also be done outdoors on a nice day. First of all, one family member has to quiz all of the others on their favorite dance songs and write them down. Someone else can be in charge of setting up the music and you'll also need a DJ during the party. Then everybody dances to everybody's favorites and gets as silly as they feel like being. Only allow for short breathers between songs and see if you can keep it up for 1/2 hour or more!
Need more help getting your family members to enjoy themselves while getting healthy? Your're not the only one!
I sometimes need some help and support, too, and I'm a developmental specialist with 43+ years experience working with children and families. I focuses on SELF, Sleep, Eating, Learning and Fun. All of my blog posts were written in response to common questions from clients and friends over the years.
Now I'd like to extend this kind of help and support to people other than my clients and friends. That's why I developed my, "ASK ME ANYTHING!" program.
I know how tight your schedules and finances can be so I decided to offer my best and most practical ideas (backed by research) in the quickest and easiest way possible! Intrigued? Read more here.
If you like saving money, and you're not already a member, you can sign up here to join our community of confident and energetic parents and caregivers and get $20 off "Ask Me Anything", or any of my 3 programs available for purchase. You'll get your coupon code and 3 other free gifts on my welcome page and you can keep it forever and use it whenever you want.
Nanci J. Bradley is a child and family
educator, author, energy facilitator, family aerobics instructor and all-around fun-loving person. She believes in the power of sleep, lifelong learning, healthy eating, fun, and more than anything else, PLAY! She studied early childhood education at Triton College and received her BA in education from Northern Illinois University in 1986. She received her MA in human development from Pacific Oaks College in 2011. She lives and teaches in Madison, WI.