This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of iVillage. The opinions and text are all mine.
The health of our kids is so important! Here are a few things I do to keep my kids healthy throughout the summer:
1. Limit screen time! I have always been a proponent of limiting TV, but with little kids I found myself letting them watch between 1/2 and 1 1/2 hours of TV a day. I would use this time mostly to cook supper in the evenings and to tidy up before my husband came home from work. This time did make things easier for me, but I found it wasn’t helping my children. Even though the programming wasn’t bad, a steady dose of it wasn’t necessarily healthy either. One year ago I ended that daily TV time. It was an adjustment for everyone, but the kids have become more creative! Instead of watching TV they play games, color, draw, read, and play outside. Now we enjoy watching an occasional show or movie as a family.
2. Encourage lots of outside play and exercise. I am a firm believer that kids need to be outside! Even just in the back yard there is so much more to explore than in the house. Lately the favorite game is one my kids made up called Place Place. They collect things outside and then sell and trade to each other. Outside they can get exercise naturally through play. Besides playing in the backyard we have enjoyed parks, camps, and swimming. In this Texas heat we try to be outside in the mornings before it gets too hot, and then again in the evenings when the sun begins to go down.
3. Eat lots of fruits and vegetables. I love getting the kids involved in the planning and making of our meals and snacks. They especially enjoy fruits and veggies when they can make shapes and faces with them. That’s when I encourage them to play with their food! For the summer, I have enjoyed making lots of salads. They all love a Strawberry Spinach or Taco Salad.
I’d love to hear your tips for keeping kids healthy below!
This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of iVillage. The opinions and text are all mine.
