I don’t often pay much attention to feature stories that describe the state of kids’ weight issues.  You can almost predict the bulk of the content to include statistics on how kids are getting heavier, less active, and not eating correctly.  My exception to the lack of attention I pay to articles, features, and statistics the media spews about child obesity, was a small item I read the other day in the Wall Street Journal.  A simple paragraph in their “What’s News” section caught my attention, it stated that – U.S. children gain up to three times more weight during the summer than during the school year, a study of five- and six-year-olds said.  How many more articles need to be written before someone legitimately gets to the root of the problem. 

Most so-called experts will blame it on schools providing less than healthy meal options, or the food, snack, and soft drink industry for pushing their products on our children.  And now the new target for parent and health advocates is the video game industry or the new media world of kid’s social interaction on the computer and the variety of handheld devices that every kids seems to have these days.  The fact of the matter is we can all make excuses and blame everyone else for this problem but until we stop and realize what this Wall Street article has uncovered we’ll never solve this issue for our children. Unfortunately the root of the problem and the majority of the blame falls on all of us parents.

No other article has pinpointed, other than this Wall Street Journal article, the fact that when kids are home during their free time, they get heavy.  Well Watson, I wonder why that is?  We as parents need to take responsibility to fix the problem. The bottom line, when they are home with you, they’re getting fat. So rather than blame everyone else, let’s fix the problem.

How you may ask? The problem is both easy to understand and fix as it is complex.  There are three major things you can do this summer as a parent to help your kids begin to live a healthy and active lifestyle. The first two things are easy with a little effort, the third may be much more complex, yet with a little soul searching you can make a revolutionary change in your child’s active lifestyle. 

• The first and easiest thing to solve is to remember that you control what your kids eat by what you bring into your home. If there are healthy food options in the home, kids will learn to eat accordingly.  But don’t be a total fanatic; start by slowly reducing their unhealthy food intake by reducing portions and finding alternative low sugar and fat choices.  Then allow special treats to be consumed at special times.  If your kids enjoy ice cream, don’t cut it out entirely, but serve it twice a week on designated days.  This is something they will look forward to and can be used as a self-reward for eating healthy the remaining days of the week. 
  
  
• Lead by example.  As a parent the best thing you can do to encourage an active lifestyle is be active yourself.  Go to the local track and run with the kids.  A track can be a fun place for kids to play and discover all the different activities they can participate in, such as the long & triple jump pits, the high jump mats, hurdles, starting blocks, etc.  If they see you partaking in physical activities on a consistent basis, they will first learn by observing and secondly if you include them they most likely will find something enjoyable about the activity as well. 
  
  
• Build a field of dreams in your backyard. Another tip that you can use at home that I have found to be very helpful is make your yard an exciting place for your kids to play.  If your yard consists of grass and little else, then there may be a reason why your kids never go out there to play. With a little creativity and effort you can build a backyard that attracts kids to want to play.  Let’s face it, many kids have lost their ability to be creative and use their imaginations. They have also lost their desire to play and be active, therefore we as parents must draw them into play by creating an atmosphere that they’ll find exciting. 
  
  When we were kids we needed very little to go out and play.  A bat and a ball, a football, etc., alone or with a few friends and a little imagination is all we needed for hours of fun. We pretended to be our favorite player with one-second left on the clock, or two outs and the bases loaded.  Today kids are exposed to so many high tech toys, media, and entertainment options there is no need to use their imaginations, not to mention that a empty backyard seems fairly boring in comparison.  In order to combat this, parents can build a sports experience in their backyard that excites and gets kids started.  The following lists some examples.  As you continue to revisit this site we will provide additional backyard ideas and set-up options to keep your kids entertained and active at the same time.
  
  There are hundreds of different activities and set-ups your backyard can transform into, we’ll suggest six different activities and set-ups. Size and overall playing area are vital components in how this should be designed for your particular backyard, so please adjust accordingly.  If you have no backyard you can easily bring many of these elements to a park or other open space.
  
  
1. A wiffle ball and bat are essential pieces of equipment for the backyard. Combine that with a set of plastic bases and you’re well on your way to a playing a game.  But due to the reality that it’s difficult to find 18 kids to play a baseball game in your backyard, and your total amount of useable space may be limited we make one suggestion that reduces the number of players you need to play to as few as two to four players.  In order to accommodate just a few players we suggest using small goals (Brine Backyard Wars Goals) that are actually small lacrosse nets that we place at first, second and third base.  A large rebounder is used to back up home plate. A one on one, two on two, or three on three game can now take place with a pitcher and additional fielders (if playing two on two or higher).  The small goals are used as additional fielders, for example once the ball is hit into play, the defense attempts to throw the ball into a net located at a base before the base runner reaches the actual designated base, placed in close proximity to the nets yet far enough from the base for safety reasons.
   
   
2. Would your kids want their very own batting cage in the backyard, without the hassle of a large cage taking up space?  Zip-N-Hit is a portable baseball product that allows two individuals the opportunity to take batting practice without taking up large amounts of space. One individual operates the delivery of the ball as the other bats. Two wires are both attached to a baseball that are held taut and together by the person delivering the ball, with the opposite end and wrapped around a tree or pole.  The ball is delivered to the batter by quickly separating and spreading the wires.  This eliminates chasing a ball and is a great way to increase hand/eye coordination, timing, as well as the recognition of different ball movements.
   
   
3. Badminton is a sport that might not excite your kids to the point where they’re dying to go outside and play.  Not to mention your annoyance of setting up the net every time you want to play. Speedminton however is great alternative. A new product that came out a few years ago and is sold at Sharper Image and available through Amazon.com, is a racquet game that combines the elements of tennis, squash, badminton, and racquetball.  The equipment is simple, two racquets and a set of three ultra-fast birdies, and no net required to play, the set comes with 8 cones to set-up the court in your backyard, or any other flat surface. The size of the court can be adjustable to the size of your lawn.  It’s a great workout that develops agility, balance, coordination, speed, and stamina.
   
   
4. If golf interests your kids or you’d like to introduce them to the sport I highly suggest the product “Birdie Ball”.  Many kids like going to the driving range to hit balls, this product allows you to set-up a driving range, or golf course in your own backyard.  Specifically designed plastic cylinders are the magic behind this product.  The cylinders closely replicate the flight of a golf ball, yet their distance is limited to a maximum of 40 yards (when hit by an adult at full strength), plus they’re safe since the cylinder fills with air and actually floats softly to the ground.  Two hitting pads (provided in specific kits) and two dozen birdie balls allows two people to alternate hitting balls back and forth, or arrange your own backyard tournament when you purchase a kit of targets that are designed as portable flag pins and holes.
   
   
5. Summer is for hanging out, and there is no better way to do it while burning a few calories than playing ping pong.  An outdoor ping pong table is an investment (and there not exactly cheap) that will pay off in hours of fun for both your kids,  their friends, and yourself.
   
   
6. Here’s an idea my seven year old son suggested since he’s always eager to play touch football, baseball, and soccer, yet his organized leagues don’t always satisfy him, and he’s always looking for things to do when games and practices are not scheduled.  He started his own pick-up league, where he invites friends over to play any number of games.  Sound familiar.  Yes, this is exactly what we did as kids yet it has disappeared to a large extent with this generation. The exception here is that he likes when the parents play alongside or against the kids.  It’s a great way to participate with your child in a low pressure yet fun environment, rather than just taking them to practices and games and just watching.

Your backyard is a great treasure for you and your kids to spend quality time having fun, being active, as well as developing athletic skills without the structured environment that we constantly over schedule our kids into throughout the year.  Over the course of the year I’ll continue to provide you with additional ideas and products that can make your backyard a desirable place for your kids to want to get out and play, no matter the season.