It’s summertime: long, hot days, irregular schedules, and a diet filled with grilled burgers and popsicles are the norm. When kids are out of school and routines are disrupted, health and fitness often take a backseat until fall. However, incorporating family fitness into your summer plans can help keep everyone active and healthy despite the seasonal changes. Not only will you set a positive example for your children, but you’ll also create lasting memories and strengthen family bonds.
Keep reading to discover ten fun family fitness activities to get everyone moving this summer. These activities are designed for all ages and fitness levels, making it easy to keep everyone engaged and active. From outdoor adventures to creative indoor movements, there’s something for everyone to enjoy. Let’s dive into these exciting ideas to ensure your summer is filled with fun and fitness!
1. Take a Family Hike 
You may find family-friendly hiking trails closer than you ever imagined with a bit of research in your area! It’s time to grab your sneakers, water, and a few protein-filled hiking snacks and explore what’s out there. Download an app like AllTrails and make the most of your family hike. You can select popular trails, track distance, choose the difficulty level, and even find hikes suitable for strollers or pets.
2. Try Geocaching
Discovering the world of Geocaching can be a real game-changer for many families. If you’re not sure what geocaching is, think of it as a digital and real-life treasure hunt mixed together. It’s an outdoor hunt for a cleverly hidden container (or geocache) linked to an app. Geocache containers are hidden all over the world. The app gives you the GPS coordinates of the container and may provide hints about its whereabouts. Once found, you log your name on both a paper scroll inside the container and on your app to tell the Geocache community that you have found it. You may even find fun trinkets inside with instructions to “take one and leave one.” Once complete, you return the container exactly as you found it for the next person to find.
3. Get Active on the Beach
Going to the beach almost always guarantees a fun-filled day. But what if you incorporated some family fitness into your beach day to ensure a bit of movement, too? There are endless ways to have fun at the beach and get your heart rate moving. Bring a large pail for collecting seashells or explore rocks and catch sand crabs. Pack a few pieces of sports equipment, and you can play games like beach volleyball, frisbee, or paddleball. Swimming, riding the waves, and building sandcastles can also be great exercises that get the entire family moving together.
4. Create a Backyard Obstacle Course
A backyard obstacle course will undoubtedly become one of your kids’ most memorable summer activities! Create an obstacle course in your backyard using everyday items around your home. Use hula hoops, cones, old tires, pool noodles, wooden planks, and ropes to design a fun and challenging course. Each family member can take turns running through the obstacles, timing each other to add a competitive edge. This activity promotes physical activity and fosters teamwork and creativity, making it a perfect way to stay active and bond as a family.
5. Take a Bike Ride
Family bike rides are a fantastic way to stay active and bond this summer. Enjoy the fresh air and explore new routes together while getting a great workout. It’s a fun, low-cost activity everyone can enjoy, perfect for creating lasting memories and promoting family fitness. So grab your bikes and hit the road for some summer adventure and exercise! You may even find an ice cream stand to stop at along the way to sweeten the adventure!
6. Create a Family Fitness Challenge
Creating a family fitness challenge is a fantastic way to keep everyone active and engaged. Start by setting daily or weekly goals such as step counts, outdoor activities, or trying new exercises. You could even set a goal for the number of minutes spent outdoors instead of on screens. Use a chart or app to track everyone’s progress, and consider offering rewards for meeting milestones to keep motivation high. You can include activities like nature walks, bike rides, swimming sessions, or even dance-offs. Celebrating each other’s achievements through friendly competition encourages family fitness, adds excitement to goals, and makes the journey more rewarding.
7. Try a Watersport
Depending on your family’s fitness level and appetite for adventure, consider adding watersports to your family fitness plan. Watersports are the perfect way to stay active and cool on the hottest summer days. Whether you’re new to watersports or a seasoned pro, there are many options. Kayaking and Canoeing can be fun and can easily include the little ones. Paddleboarding, wakeboarding, and surfing require some skill, but they are a great core workout and fun sports to learn together. Swimming, snorkeling, and tubing are others that can turn a leisurely summer day into an abundance of fun and laughs.
8. Learn A New Sport Together
Learning a new sport together is another way to boost family fitness and have fun this summer. Try out pickleball, a lively game blending tennis and ping-pong, or give frisbee golf a go, combining frisbee with golf. Spikeball is fast-paced with a small trampoline-like net, while bocce ball provides a relaxing, strategic game perfect for all ages. For an added challenge, test your balance as a family with slacklining. Learning a new sport together will provide plenty of laughs and encourage activity, teamwork, and family time.
9. Forage in the Woods
Foraging in the woods together is an enjoyable way to encourage family fitness and connect with nature over the summer. Start by exploring your own backyard identifying edible plants and berries. Once comfortable, venture into nearby woods and parks to expand your foraging adventures. Use guidebooks and apps to help you identify native plants. Just be sure to discuss safety and the dangers of poisonous plants and berries first. This nature-inspired activity combines physical exercise with learning about local flora, making it an educational and healthy experience for everyone.
10. Set up a Scavenger Hunt
Creating a scavenger hunt can encourage family fitness over the summer, but it is also just super fun. Everyone can get involved by taking turns designing the hunt, setting clues, and finding hidden items. You can have a nature-themed hunt in your backyard or local park or a photo scavenger hunt around your neighborhood. You could even do a fitness challenge scavenger hunt where each clue leads to a new exercise. If you’re short on ideas, a quick Google search will reveal lots of premade scavenger hunts to use. You could work together as a team or pair up for a friendly competition. Scavenger hunts promote activity, teamwork, and creativity and entertain the entire family.
Incorporating these ten family fitness activities into your summer plans is a blast and easy on the wallet! There are options for every age and ability, whether toddler or teen. The aim is to make great memories, bond as a family, and promote a healthy and active lifestyle. From backyard obstacle courses to catching crabs at the beach, there’s fun for everyone. Embracing these family fitness ideas means better health and stronger family connections. Fitness doesn’t have to be a chore; it can be fun and exciting! With a bit of creativity, it will become a highlight of your family’s summer adventures.
