245 Ways To Get Kids Off the Couch
This blog post provides practical tips on how to motivate kids to spend more time outdoors and reduce their screen time.
It’s no secret that kids love spending time in front of screens.
Whether it’s playing video games, scrolling through social media, or binge-watching their favorite shows, screens have become a ubiquitous part of childhood.
However, research shows that spending too much time indoors and in front of screens can have negative impacts on children’s physical and mental health.
That’s why it’s crucial for parents to encourage their kids to spend more time outdoors and engage in physical activities.
But how do you get kids off the couch and into the great outdoors?
In this post, we’ll explore the benefits of outdoor play and share some practical tips for getting your kids excited about spending time outside.
I have some backyard ideas for toddlers and backyard games for older kids if you need some inspiration.
Here are some ways to get your kids up and active without all the moaning and groaning!
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how to Get Kids Off the Couch
- Organize a family dance-off.
- Go for a family hike.
- Create a backyard obstacle course.
- Play a game of tag or freeze tag.
- Set up a mini sports tournament in your backyard.
- Have a picnic and play frisbee at the park.
- Take a nature scavenger hunt in the woods.
- Play hide and seek.
- Try geocaching as a family.
- Go for a bike ride together.
- Have a water balloon fight.
- Build a fort or treehouse.
- Start a neighborhood game of kickball.
- Play hopscotch on the sidewalk.
- Create a mini-golf course in your yard.
- Have a relay race.
- Fly kites at the beach or park.
- Take a family yoga class.
- Sign up for a parent-child sports league.
- Go roller skating or ice skating.
- Try indoor rock climbing.
- Take a family swim at the local pool.
- Play catch with a frisbee or ball.
- Go on a family camping trip.
- Have a friendly game of mini-basketball.
- Plant a vegetable or flower garden together.
- Explore a nearby nature trail.
- Visit a nearby zoo or wildlife sanctuary.
- Join a family-friendly fun run or walk.
- Play a game of charades.
- Try paddleboarding or kayaking.
- Participate in a charity walk or run.
- Set up an arts and crafts station outside.
- Have a family talent show.
- Visit a trampoline park.
- Organize a neighborhood scavenger hunt.
- Take a family trip to a nearby beach.
- Play beach volleyball or beach soccer.
- Try out a family-friendly fitness class.
- Go on a nature photography adventure.
- Have a family bake-off.
- Go bird watching in your local park.
- Visit a local science museum.
- Take a family hike with a goal like reaching a waterfall.
- Play a game of soccer or basketball at a local court.
- Go on a family rollercoaster day at an amusement park.
- Build and launch model rockets.
- Try a family-friendly martial arts class.
- Create an outdoor art gallery with chalk or paint.
- Have a family-friendly game night with active games like Twister or Pictionary.
- Go on a family rollerblading adventure.
- Set up a lemonade stand and engage in selling.
- Play a round of family-friendly disc golf.
- Try indoor trampolining at a trampoline park.
- Take a family horseback riding lesson.
- Explore a nearby botanical garden.
- Build a DIY birdhouse together.
- Have a family game of capture the flag.
- Go on a family canoeing or kayaking trip.
- Try family archery lessons.
- Organize a neighborhood bike parade.
- Have a family photo scavenger hunt.
- Try paddleboarding on a calm lake.
- Set up an outdoor movie night with a projector.
- Go on a family fishing expedition.
- Have a family roller hockey game.
- Try out family-friendly crossfit or HIIT workouts.
- Take a family trip to a nearby amusement park.
- Go on a family camping and stargazing trip.
- Have a family day at a local water park.
- Organize a family car wash.
- Try out a family-friendly Zumba class.
- Visit a local science center.
- Go on a family geocaching adventure.
- Have a family picnic and fly kites.
- Set up an outdoor obstacle course.
- Play a game of family beach volleyball.
- Go on a family paddleboat or pedal boat ride.
- Try a family day of horseback riding.
- Have a family day at a botanical or butterfly garden.
- Organize a family-friendly 5k run or walk.
- Go on a family day of canoeing or rafting.
- Try out a family-friendly martial arts class.
- Have a family basketball shootout.
- Play a game of family tug-of-war.
- Go on a family day at a local petting zoo.
- Have a family game of capture the flag.
- Try a family day of roller derby.
- Go on a family hiking adventure in a national park.
- Set up a family campfire with marshmallow roasting.
- Play a game of family bowling.
- Try out family-friendly spin or cycling classes.
- Have a family day at a local go-kart track.
- Go on a family day of rock climbing.
- Organize a family beach cleanup.
- Try a family day of stand-up paddleboarding.
- Set up a family-friendly DIY science experiment.
- Have a family day at a local farmer’s market.
- Go on a family day of exploring caves.
- Try out family-friendly kayaking lessons.
- Have a family day at a nearby amusement arcade.
- Organize a family paintball or laser tag outing.
- Go on a family horse-drawn carriage ride.
- Try out family-friendly paddle tennis or pickleball.
- Have a family kite flying competition.
- Go on a family bird-watching excursion.
- Try a family day of orienteering or map reading.
- Organize a family talent show with a theme.
- Have a family game of beach cricket.
- Go on a family day of zip-lining.
- Try out a family-friendly fencing class.
- Have a family mini-golf tournament.
- Go on a family day of river tubing.
- Organize a family fishing competition.
- Try a family day of horse-drawn sleigh rides (seasonal).
- Have a family picnic and play bocce ball.
- Go on a family day of tree climbing.
- Try out family-friendly badminton.
- Organize a family-friendly charity walk or run.
- Have a family game of ultimate frisbee.
- Go on a family trip to a nearby wildlife sanctuary.
- Try a family day of white-water rafting.
- Have a family day of snorkeling or scuba diving.
- Organize a family track and field day.
- Go on a family day of hot air ballooning.
- Try out family-friendly acrobatics or circus skills.
- Have a family game of beach soccer.
- Go on a family day of spelunking or cave exploring.
- Try a family day of parasailing.
- Organize a family-friendly charity bike ride.
- Have a family game of horseshoes.
- Go on a family day of dog sledding (seasonal).
- Try out family-friendly inline skating.
- Have a family day of sailing or windsurfing.
- Go on a family day of rock hounding.
- Try a family day of stand-up paddleboard yoga.
- Organize a family photography scavenger hunt.
- Have a family game of beach bocce.
- Go on a family day of horseback riding on the beach.
- Try out family-friendly frisbee golf (disc golf).
- Have a family day of exploring historical sites.
- Go on a family day of hot air ballooning.
- Try a family day of kiteboarding.
- Organize a family day of ice skating (seasonal).
- Have a family game of beach cricket.
- Go on a family day of spelunking or cave exploring.
- Try out family-friendly inline skating.
- Have a family day of sailing or windsurfing.
- Go on a family day of rock hounding.
- Try a family day of stand-up paddleboard yoga.
- Go on a family hot air balloon ride.
- Have a family day of horseback riding through a forest.
- Organize a family day of canyoneering or rappelling.
- Try a family-friendly fencing class.
- Have a family game of beach rugby.
- Go on a family day of kite surfing.
- Try out family-friendly roller derby.
- Have a family day of paddleboard fishing.
- Organize a family geocaching adventure at night.
- Go on a family spelunking or cave exploring expedition.
- Try a family day of trapeze or circus arts.
- Have a family game of beach volleyball at night with glow-in-the-dark equipment.
- Go on a family day of paragliding.
- Try out family-friendly parkour or free-running.
- Have a family night of glow-in-the-dark mini golf.
- Go on a family day of indoor skydiving.
- Try a family day of slacklining in the park.
- Have a family game of underwater hockey.
- Go on a family day of whitewater kayaking.
- Try out family-friendly Taekwondo or karate.
- Have a family day of paddleboard yoga on a floating platform.
- Go on a family orienteering adventure in the wilderness.
- Try a family day of flyboarding.
- Have a family game of beach dodgeball.
- Go on a family day of ice climbing (seasonal).
- Try out family-friendly BMX biking.
- Have a family night of glow-in-the-dark bowling.
- Go on a family day of canyoning.
- Try a family day of water skiing.
- Have a family game of underwater frisbee.
- Go on a family day of parasailing.
- Try out family-friendly paddle tennis.
- Have a family day of snowshoeing (seasonal).
- Go on a family mountain biking adventure.
- Try a family day of ice fishing (seasonal).
- Have a family game of beach ultimate frisbee.
- Go on a family day of kite landboarding.
- Try out family-friendly snow tubing (seasonal).
- Have a family night of glow-in-the-dark laser tag.
- Go on a family day of windsurfing.
- Try a family day of caving or spelunking.
- Have a family game of beach handball.
- Go on a family day of sandcastle building.
- Try out family-friendly tai chi or qigong.
- Have a family night of glow-in-the-dark paintball.
- Go on a family day of sandboarding or dune sledding.
- Try a family day of indoor climbing.
- Have a family game of underwater hockey.
- Go on a family day of raft building and floating.
- Try out family-friendly mountain unicycling.
- Have a family day of ziplining through the treetops.
- Try a family day of alpine coaster riding.
- Organize a family day of hydro jetpacking.
- Go on a family day of ice sailing (seasonal).
- Have a family game of beach spikeball.
- Try out family-friendly aerial silks or circus trapeze.
- Have a family day of snowkiting (seasonal).
- Go on a family day of heli-skiing or heli-snowboarding (seasonal).
- Try a family-friendly goat yoga class.
- Have a family day of fly fishing.
- Go on a family day of jet skiing.
- Try out family-friendly Nordic walking.
- Have a family day of sand sculpting.
- Go on a family day of off-road segway touring.
- Try a family-friendly water trampoline.
- Have a family day of ice caving (seasonal).
- Go on a family day of electric mountain biking.
- Try out family-friendly bog walking.
- Have a family day of sand dune racing.
- Go on a family day of dry caving.
- Try a family-friendly SUP yoga class (stand-up paddleboard).
- Have a family game of underwater rugby.
- Go on a family day of indoor waterpark adventures.
- Try out family-friendly slackline yoga.
- Have a family day of dragon boat racing.
- Go on a family day of snorkeling in a cenote.
- Try a family-friendly roller ski adventure.
- Have a family day of sand volleyball.
- Go on a family day of snowmobiling (seasonal).
- Try out family-friendly flyboarding.
- Have a family day of ice fishing in an ice hut (seasonal).
- Go on a family day of cable wakeboarding.
- Try a family-friendly paddleboard pilates class.
- Have a family game of beach flag football.
- Go on a family day of snowcat skiing (seasonal).
- Try out family-friendly beach tennis.
- Have a family day of paddleboard fitness.
- Go on a family day of kite land yachting.
- Try a family-friendly aqua spinning class.
- Have a family game of underwater frisbee golf.
- Go on a family day of indoor surfing.
- Try out family-friendly snow kiting (seasonal).
- Have a family day of fly fishing.
- Go on a family day of ice climbing.
- Try a family-friendly jet boating adventure.
Getting kids off the couch doesn’t always have to be a direct approach. Sometimes it’s about creating an environment that encourages activity, like having sports equipment easily accessible or walking instead of driving to nearby places. And remember, as a parent, you’re the role model. If they see you being active and having fun, they’re more likely to follow suit.
Let’s face it, convincing kids to trade screen time for active time can be like negotiating with miniature diplomats. But with a bit of creativity, humor, and patience, we can turn those couch moments into active memories. And hey, if all else fails, there’s always the promise of ice cream – works every time!
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