The Austin Getz Active Seriez

Ideas for Family Fun

Around the country, spring and summer are the times of year to get out and play.  However, in our moderate climate, Austinites are able to get out and play year round for the most part.  In fact, fall and winter can be some of the best outdoor weather here.  Just dress your kids in layers of athletic clothing, grab your sports bottle, and head outside to play. 

Kickball!  The best thing about this is all you need is a little space and a ball. The ball you choose doesn't even have to be fully inflated.  Sometimes, the more lopsided, heavy, or strangely-sized the ball is, the more fun the game can be. The reason I mention kickball above other sports is because it’s a classic that teaches kids the ideas of teamwork, base running, offense and defense, and competition without going overboard. My two-year-old can understand the concept well enough to play and twelve-year-olds can still really get into it. 

Family Walk!  I have to remind myself of this a lot because somehow it’s so simple that we forget to do it. If we could all just take a walk around the block after dinner at night I think we’d all be happier. It takes no supplies except maybe a stroller and your kids athletic shoes. You might  have a little complaining the first few times you do it but the rewards are great.  Not only do you make good connections with people in your neighborhood but you also teach your kids from a young age that exercise can be fun and easy and just outside their doorstep instead of always at a gym or pool. 

Outside Play Time!  It’s been a long time since I was a kid and imagined myself in a completely different world. Recently, my kids were talking about Native Americans at home since their pre-school was concentrating on it for Thanksgiving. I just barely led them by asking questions about what they eat and how they live.  Before long, we had a teepee made out of a sheet and some random sticks.  They couldn’t even fit in it but they didn’t care.  We were also shooting pretend spears at the trees, aka wild beasts, and picking pretend berries from the trees.  We were running all over the yard pretending to play with our fellow tribe members and getting ready for dinner.  By the end, I was breathing hard so I know my kids got at least a little exercise out of it.  Even though I have never had a great imagination, all I had to do was nudge my kids a little and they ran with it, figuratively and literally. 

Hope this gives you a few more ideas in these beautiful winter months in Austin.  Go play!

Lindsay Rosenthal
Owner, 1379