Tips to Keep Your Family Busy & Healthy This Summer

Ah, summer. Fun for kids, panic for parents. It’s a break from everyone’s usual routine, and that can be both good and not so good. Less structure can soon lead to boredom and unhealthy snacking. Here are a few ideas to keep kids healthy and active over summer vacation.

Ideas for Eating Healthy

With a little prep, you can make it easy for your kids to choose a healthy summer snack like these:

Ideas for Eating Healthy

– Veggies and ranch dressing dip – Low-fat cheese sticks and beef jerky “chips” – Pretzels, pita or tortilla chips with bean dip or hummus

Ideas for Eating Healthy

– Fresh fruit with yogurt for dipping or smoothies – Half of a banana with a smear of nut butter – Make your own popsicles by freezing fruit juice in the ice cube tray and adding wooden sticks

Ideas to Stay Active

Encourage kids to be social. They spend a lot of time with other children their age during the school year. Without school to connect them, it might not be so easy to stay in touch with their friends over the summer. If your children are young, set up play dates.

Ideas to Stay Active

Encourage older children to meet up with friends “in real life” (not just by texting and social media) to ride bikes together or play outside

Ideas to Stay Active

Help kids stay physical. Playing video games and eating junk food is an easy idea to occupy time but not the healthiest. Riverside Medical Clinic recommends that children get 60 minutes of physical activity each day.

Ideas to Stay Active

This should include aerobic and muscle strengthening activities. Consider one of the many classes available through Riverside’s Parks & Recreation program. From ballet to hip hop and martial arts to ice hockey, there’s something for everyone.

Ideas to Stay Active

Summer is a great time to explore your town. Check out Riverside’s community calendar! From story time at the library to arts and crafts, nature walks and youth sports, there are fun events planned for this summer.

Ideas to Stay Active

Cool down at the pool or water park. Riverside features recreational swimming at several parks. Admission is only $1 for children under 17. They also offer swimming lessons. San Bernadino County also has swim lagoons, water slides and sandy beaches at its four regional parks. It’s just what you need when summer heats up.

Ideas to Stay Active

Take a day trip to see dinosaurs. Nearby Hemet is home to the Western Science Center. Their “Science Saturdays” program brings science to life, helps to keep young minds stimulated, and gives families the chance to interact directly with scientists. Best of all, it’s free!

Ideas to Stay Active

Help your children make reading a daily habit. Have them pick out something fun to read at the library to show them that it doesn’t have to be a chore (or homework assignment). Children learn when their brain is active.

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Tips to Keep Your Family Busy & Healthy This Summer

Read more

Tips to Keep Your Family Busy & Healthy This Summer

Ah, summer. Fun for kids, panic for parents. It’s a break from everyone’s usual routine, and that can be both good and not so good. Less structure can soon lead to boredom and unhealthy snacking. Here are a few ideas to keep kids healthy and active over summer vacation.

Read more

Ideas for Eating Healthy

With a little prep, you can make it easy for your kids to choose a healthy summer snack like these:

Read more

Ideas for Eating Healthy

– Veggies and ranch dressing dip – Low-fat cheese sticks and beef jerky “chips” – Pretzels, pita or tortilla chips with bean dip or hummus

Read more

Ideas for Eating Healthy

– Fresh fruit with yogurt for dipping or smoothies – Half of a banana with a smear of nut butter – Make your own popsicles by freezing fruit juice in the ice cube tray and adding wooden sticks

Read more

Ideas to Stay Active

Encourage kids to be social. They spend a lot of time with other children their age during the school year. Without school to connect them, it might not be so easy to stay in touch with their friends over the summer. If your children are young, set up play dates.

Read more

Ideas to Stay Active

Encourage older children to meet up with friends “in real life” (not just by texting and social media) to ride bikes together or play outside

Read more

Ideas to Stay Active

Help kids stay physical. Playing video games and eating junk food is an easy idea to occupy time but not the healthiest. Riverside Medical Clinic recommends that children get 60 minutes of physical activity each day.

Read more

Ideas to Stay Active

This should include aerobic and muscle strengthening activities. Consider one of the many classes available through Riverside’s Parks & Recreation program. From ballet to hip hop and martial arts to ice hockey, there’s something for everyone.

Read more

Ideas to Stay Active

Summer is a great time to explore your town. Check out Riverside’s community calendar! From story time at the library to arts and crafts, nature walks and youth sports, there are fun events planned for this summer.

Read more

Ideas to Stay Active

Read more

Ideas to Stay Active

Take a day trip to see dinosaurs. Nearby Hemet is home to the Western Science Center. Their “Science Saturdays” program brings science to life, helps to keep young minds stimulated, and gives families the chance to interact directly with scientists. Best of all, it’s free!

Read more

Ideas to Stay Active

Help your children make reading a daily habit. Have them pick out something fun to read at the library to show them that it doesn’t have to be a chore (or homework assignment). Children learn when their brain is active.

View more

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