Summer camp may have hosted obese children. Other kids may be poised to head back to school. Until school is back in session, what’s a parent to do to keep them active, engaged and out of trouble?

Most younger children in elementary school will enjoy the following activities. The good news for parents is that they are either free or cost less than a dollar! I’ve tested them out with neighborhood kids and client families and not a dud among them. Each one of these activities helps to prove self-determination theory - physical activity is the secret ingredient. It helps kids be leaner, stronger and sharper. Take pictures for family viewing.

Bubbles - Start with a spare wire hanger or a large paper clip. Fashion into a circular shape allowing for a bit of a handle to hold. Make the bubble solution in an old pan large enough to fit the bubble frame. Use liquid dish detergent and water in a ratio of 1 part detergent to 3 parts water. If the solution needs to be stronger, add more detergent. Encourage the kids to run while creating the bubbles. Let them decide who made the largest bubbles, most bubbles, etc. They’ll have fun running to make bubbles and chasing down the bubbles to burst them until there’s no detergent left.

Water sprinklers - Either the automatic, oscillating or revolving sprinkler will do. Let the kids run through the sprinkler as it waters the lawn. They can play tag, jump over the water arc, pretend to be swimming, pretend to be swimming through a waterfall. The kids will cool off, be physically active and enjoy the outdoors. 

Cardboard box - The nearby appliance store will be happy to give you a refrigerator size corrugated brown box. Take it home and let the kids play with it outside in a flat, visible, safe area of the yard or supervised playground. They can pretend it’s a house, recreational vehicle, limousine, fort, goal, castle, stable, canoe, garage. tent, tunnel and more while engaging in active, creative play that obese children can easily enjoy.