When the weather gets warmer, we must encourage kids physical activity with springtime play. I love spring the most of all the seasons. My family looks forward to getting re-acclimated to the outdoors following the off-season dormancy.

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Spring can often find a tighter family budget for our household, as we work to recuperate from Holiday spending. All of our kids’ birthdays are during the first few months of the year too, so having extra funds for fun and entertainment for a family of 5 can also be challenging.

So when spring makes its way in, I turn to outdoor play for the kids. Not only is it free, but it also helps their bodies to catch up on all of the physical activity they may have missed during the months of minimal outside winter activity. Plus, all of us love taking in the fresh spring air and warm sunshine!

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There are so many great benefits of spending time outdoors. It has been scientifically proven that there are tons of physical, social, emotional, and cognitive advantages of outdoor play and activity. And I see those advantages in action every time we get that change to spend the day at any of the local parks or community playgrounds in our area.

What I love most about encouraging kids physical activity with springtime play is the opportunity my kids have to improve their fitness by trying out the new skills they may have ‘grown into’ during the winter season. Things like climbing, doing flips, or even running faster or jumping higher. When they are able to see the new things they can do physically and they succeed at them, it motivates them to do more. I also love the joy of simply sharing time together outside as a family.

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I have always believed that there is no better way to shake off the winter blues than by taking full advantage of the longer days with a springtime trip to the playground or park! Being so anxious to get outside, all of us count down the days until we can immerse ourselves in the spring feeling of buds sprouting, birds nesting, beautiful green grass, and blue sunny skies! Each moment spent outdoors inspires us by leaps and bounds!

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The Voice of Play is an education and advocacy initiative of the non-profit membership association, IPEMA, formed to educate and promote the benefits of children’s free outdoor play and playgrounds.  Through the Voice of Play website and social media properties, IPEMA highlights the scientifically proven physical, social, emotional and cognitive benefits of play. To learn more about the initiative, visit the Voice of Play website. You can also connect with Voice of Play on Facebook and Twitter.

Encourage Kids Physical Activity