Worldwide Day of Play Celebration #C2Play2Day

 Outside playing is good for everyone, no matter the age. I"m a mom with tween/teen girls so our play time is much different from playtime of a mom with toddlers. Even though our play time is different it is still extremely important to include it into our regular schedule.

My girls love walking, running, bike riding, hiking and swimming. These are large motor skills that really get the heart pumping. The fresh air and mild temps are the ideal days for these activities except for swimming. Tween & teen girls go through a lot of body changes, as we all well know. These type of activities help them build muscles and strengthen their bones.

Some of the other outside activities that my tween/teens enjoy are bubble blowing, chalk art, playing music, taking pictures, reading, fishing, carving pumpkins, building a bon fire, playing in the rain, geocaching and doing crafts. These type of activities use more small motor skills. Even though these activities do not push the heart into pumping fast they are just as important. As simple as some of these activities seem to be they are wonderful because they are creative and free flowing. They are perfect de-stressors for their busy lives.

One thing that we love to do is go fruit picking. This is a seasonal thing but it is a perfect way to get out of the house and be together. Some of the seasonal pics are strawberry; peach; veggie patch; blueberry; blackberry; apple; pumpkin and Christmas tree season!

Do your kids play outside? Do you play outside with them? I do admit that I love watching them play. I've always enjoyed that. It is amazing to me at how creative kids can be on their own. Family time is very important to us. It seems that the older they get the more difficult it is to get everyone together to play and have fun outside. How do you make time to play together as a family?

(Sponsored information) The Worldwide Day of Play is September 24th and it is the centerpiece of Nickelodeon's The Big Help, a program to empower kids and families to make healthy lifestyle choices every day. On this day, kids and families are encouraged to participate in the Worldwide Day of Play to turn off the TV and play outside. Physical activity can improve health, self-esteem and the well being of children. Teach kids a healthier lifestyle of limited TV time and a more physical activities.  Clorox 2® is a proud sponsor of Nickelodeon's 8th Annual Worldwide Day of Play. So take the Clorox2® Play 2Day pledge to play outside! Go here to take the pledge, http://clorox2play2day.com/.

I wrote this blog post while participating in the SocialMoms and Clorox2® blogging program, for a gift card worth $40. For more information on how you can participate, click here.