Swimming
Perfect for… staying cool, above all! During a heat wave, wading pools and swimming pools are everyone’s favourites! Knowing how to swim is essential for young children. Your public swimming pool probably offers courses certified by the Red Cross. This is a perfect opportunity to introduce them to swimming. Without necessarily turning them into lifeguards, you will feel safer if they are good swimmers.
Recommendations: Learning to swim is not enough to avoid accidents. See that everything is in order to ensure that your little swimmers do no go in the pool without being under supervision. To swim safely, it is important to be aware of the main safety tips related to private swimming pools and to have on hand all the necessary equipment.
You can also opt for… Even if you have no pool at home, you can visit parks with water games or go to public pools. You don’t like swimming but your children love it? Choose wading pools (usually less than two-feet deep) or buy a small inflatable pool or a plastic pool for your children.
Soccer
Perfect for… active children! Soccer is now THE summer sport of choice for children. It even outranked baseball. Just walk in the streets during the evening and you will meet children wearing shin guards and colourful shirt running behind a black and white ball. Soccer helps children – both boys and girls – develop their team spirit, elaborate strategies, develop and coordination while running al lot. Running so much channels their energy positively and spends their energy overflow. Soccer is perfect for young children who will meet new friends and for parents who sit around the field to cheer their children. Registration for the whole summer costs about $75 (socks, shirt and ball included) for a season of about 8 weeks. Games last about one hour and take place twice a week. A good investment!
Recommendations: Children can start playing soccer as early as 4 years old. Some cities even offer “pre-soccer” for children aged 3. Teams are sometimes mixed, sometimes divided by gender. But keep in mind that some exceptions can be made. Because the teams are determined by year of birth (2004-2005), if your child was born in February 2006, it may be possible to register anyway. Check it out!
You can also opt for… a less restrictive formula and practice soccer 4 against 4 at any time with the neighbours.
Bike
Perfect for… family strolls. Is it the first summer of your baby? There is no way to stay inside the house all summer. Why don’t you choose a suitable trailer or car seat and go on invigorating rides? Soon, the times for tricycles and bicycles with small wheels will come. It is always essential to remind your child of the safety rules at the beginning of the season. Also, to teach your child to use a 2-wheels bike alone, you will need a lot of patience. It is an exercise that requires, for him, to find his center of balance and to have good coordination. It is a lot to learn! Adjust the bike to the size of your child. The saddle should not be too high and your child should be able to touch the ground with his feet. Also, prefer the breaks on the pedals first and there is no need for speeds. Practice with your child (most of the time, you will be running behind, cheering!) in a park or a schoolyard where there is a lot of free space and your child will not be overly distracted.
Recommendation: A helmet is for everyone. For little ones of course but for adults too and at all times! Even if we are not used to wear one, set an example and wear it. It is a safety issue! Age and experience no longer matter when an accident occurs!
You can also opt for… rollerblades for children who are a bit older and who seek raw fun. That way, you combine everyone’s interests in your family ride.
Walking
Perfect for… being active anywhere, any time! Walking is a sport for everyone and can be practice all year. And you don’t need to go far from home. Is there a park nearby? You can go there every night, the whole family will move a little bit and everyone will be happy. Did you know that living next to a park is a good incentive to walk? And what if you tried running this summer? Why not? Good habits quickly grow on you.
Recommendations: Eating well before going hiking is important. Also, to avoid hurting yourself and to avoid back pain, remember to wear good shoes. Sandals are not as warm but not as convenient either. Invest in comfortable running shoes that will make a big difference!
You can also opt for… hiking. Many regional parks and outdoor centers offer well-organized trails to satisfy your needs. Vary the locations if you want to remain interested. Plan circuits with your family and decide together if you want to go hiking on a mountain or around a lake. You can combine other activities such as bird or wildlife watching and plan a picnic. Children love it!
Treego and Arbraska
Perfect for… apprentice climbers! Your children will love these parks to climb and hang everywhere. Are they adventurous, brave and looking for excitement? Take them to a Treego or Arbraska center for memorable adventures. Arbraska, this new outdoor activity, takes you up to the treetops through fun games. Monkey bridges, zip lines, suspended bridges and many more attractions and workshops in the trees form challenging circuits up in the trees. These circuits are exciting and bring strong emotions while everyone demonstrate their strengths, skills, agility and balance.
Recommendations: Rely on the ages recommended for each circuit. You will not be allowed to go with younger children because the adventure could be too dangerous. It would be best to inquire beforehand and make sure that the whole family will be allowed to take part in it. If you have young children, some centers have parks and other attractions adapted for them while the older children become monkeys for the day. Also, you can borrow your equipment on-site (harness, carabineers, helmet, etc.)
You can also opt for… GPS rallies, via ferrata, geocaching, rafting, rock climbing, etc. There are many exciting activities in Canada!
Balls
Nothing beats ball games during the summer. It’s easy too! With a little bit of imagination, you can create dozens of games with this simple toy. Buy various balls for various sports (basketball, football, soccer and bouncing rubber ball) and then you’ll be ready to have fun for days.
- Dodgeball
- Basketball
- Football
- Soccer
- Volley-ball
- Tennis
- “Safe”: You throw a tennis ball on a big wall (a school wall for example) and you must catch it without dropping it. Otherwise, you must run to the wall, touch it and shout “safe” or be eliminated.
Timeless
- Baseball or softball: Gather with neighbours and friends and set up an exhibition game. Children and adults can play and everyone will have fun. If you have enough players, you can match a parent and a child as one player. For the first round, the adult hits the ball and the child runs and for the next round it is the opposite.
- Jump rope: A dollar well invested for hours of fun. Instinctively, around 7 years old, little girls love to bounce. The multiply the prowess by jumping backwards or crossing the rope. You can buy a longer rope to turn it and help your child practice.
- Tag: Nope! This game never goes out of style! And variants are numerous. Ice-tag (you freeze until someone else touches you to free you), BBQ-tag (kiss the one you catch), bridge-tag (to deliver the other, you must crawl between his legs to free him), Sick-tag (once touched, you’re it but you must run and hold the body part that was touched), etc.
- Marbles: Buy a few bags at a dollar store for hours of fun and exchanges (This website explains a few marble games).
