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Good outdoor games that will incorporate exercise in yours and your children's lives. Hmmm .... lets see, for the age 5-10 group you can always organize a game of hide and seek, tag, jumping jacks, jump rope, and hula hooping. Running and jumping are a good form of exercise that helps get your heart pumping and your blood flowing. It is also a good way to get the kids to play together.

Then for the age group of 11-19, you've got touch football, badmitton, dodge ball, softball, volleyball, catch, and horseshoes. Of course there is always plain old fashioned exercise too. Touch football helps to use different muscles and get the heart pumping and the blood flowing. Dodge ball, softball, and volleyball uses your muscles and is a group sport so if your kids have a bunch of friends hanging out saying they are bored organize one of these games for them and make sure they know the rules. Have them do some warm up exercises or stretches before the game to help keep from straining muscles. Badmitton, horse shoes, and catch only require a minimum of two players and is a fun way to spend one on one time with your kid if you only have one. They are not as good at using a various amount of muscles but it is still good exercise and will get the kids out from in front of the television.

The point is for people to get the kids outside and get moving. Parents are the main people in a child's life that can prevent childhood obesity, and getting the kids out in the backyard playing games instead of in the house eating and watching television is a good way to help prevent this problem. Whether you have one child or 12 not only does playing games in the backyard on a warm summer day help with weight issues but it also helps to bring families together to do things outdoors.

Some kids just like to go out and just run around to release their energy. Letting kids, especially kids with ADHD, release pent up energy on a regular basis can do so many things for them. Playing games out doors gives them exercise, fresh air, and playing can be used as a learning tool as well. Get the kids outside, if they don't want to play an actual game make a game of plain old fashioned exercise. If it's fun they will want to do it. Plain and simple kids like to do things that are fun. Even teaching your child how to do yard work is a form of them getting exercise. You don't have to sweat buckets to be getting exercise, as long as you get your heart pumping and keep the blood flowing you are doing some form of exercise.

Learn more about this author, Rosemary Recore.
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