While some parents dread the dog days of summer, Dr. Jeanine Andersson of Little Rock has found ways of making outdoor activity something all four of her young kids look forward to.

As a physician with Arkansas Specialty Orthopaedics, she is keenly aware of the dangers of sedentary summer behavior. Here are some of her tips on how to avoid those dangers by establishing positive routines and habits from a young age.

1. Get Outside!

We are very intentional with getting our four kids outdoors. We have 7-year-old twins, a 5 year old and a 3 year old. We try to find activities that the kids love to do outdoors and encourage those activities. For my kids, it’s swimming and riding bikes. Once outdoors, however, their imaginations soar! A pile of dirt or a small tree becomes a source for an imaginary land of fun!  

2. Make it Fun

Making it fun is really the key. Once they associate fun with the outdoors, it’s an easy transition. The outdoors is the perfect place to develop creativity and to use the imagination. These are just as important as the academic lessons they have learned all year in school. The outdoors is a great place to encourage this! 

3. Create Healthy Habits 

Developing an active lifestyle early in life translates into an active healthier lifestyle as they mature. Less active children are more likely to be obese. A child who spends at least two hours of watching TV or using a tablet each day is more likely to be obese and more likely to have poor eating habits. Make activity a part of their routines – just like brushing their teeth or getting ready for bed. 

4. Cool Down 

Because Arkansas is so hot in the summer, we try to make activities associated with water a priority. My kids love swimming, but sometimes a cool sprinkler or a Slip 'N' Slide is all they need to stay active and have a little fun! We’ve even filled a bucket with ice water and broken out the paintbrushes to “paint the sidewalks” with water. It’s fun and spurs their creativity. 

5. Enjoy Quality Family Time 

We try to approach activity with our family in a very intentional manner. We have a 3-year-old who is a type 1 diabetic. She is 10 times more likely to have heart disease in her lifetime because of her disease. She needs exercise for her health. As a family, we have incorporated being active as our form of recreation.

We have weekly Friday night game night. This usually entails some sort of physical activity – from whole house Nerf-gun wars to a pickup soccer game on the front lawn, Frisbee or even freeze tag. Sometimes it’s just a long walk around the block. The kids love Friday nights because of this tradition we have started. It serves two purposes: physical activity and quality time with the family.