http://healthykids.nsw.gov.au/parents-carers/physical-activity/active-living-forfamilies.

aspx

Active Living for Families

Being active as a family

If you d like your child to !e healthy" start !y looking at yourself and your family. #eing active as a family allows you to !e good role models" it helps everyone reduce stress" and it s a chance to have fun together. #ut it takes some organisation to get going" and effort to maintain.

Building activity into daily life

$sually the !iggest hurdle to family activity is finding time" !ut you don%t need to do everything all the time. &ust try and fit a few activities into daily life in a !alanced way:

'alk or ride a !ike with your child to the local shops or to and from school (ncourage children to help with household chores such as walking the dog" washing the car or mowing the lawn )o for a family walk after dinner *eep a foot!all" fris!ee" +ump rope" scooters or !at and !all in your car at all times.

Being organised
,ome activities take more organisation. 'hile this re-uires effort at the start" it can produce good results that really last:

.lan ahead and schedule a regular time for physical activity that fits in with the whole family /ake part in either organised sport or activities in the park 0 make it a feature of your weekend" e.g. foot!all" !ike rides" kite-flying .lan family holidays with a view to !eing active" e.g. somewhere near the !each or where there are good walks to do. 1emem!er to take !ikes" tennis rackets" !alls and other e-uipment

Holiday ideas
2on t get caught out this school holidays3 )o .lay" lists a range of fun activities to keep the whole family smiling and active. /ake an elevated walk around the historic !rickpit and learn a!out the ha!itat of its tiny resident" the endangered )reen and )olden #ell frog. )et involved with the Ama4ing 5hase at 6ewington Armory" ,ydney 7lympic .ark and ready" set" go" on a family !ike ride with a difference. )et hooked on fishing - at Lake *eepit ,port and 1ecreation 5entre and learn fishing !asics and undertake other fun activities. 8isit the )o .lay we!site 9new window: for more details.

School Holiday Camps

A ,port and 1ecreation 5entre is a great destination for to spend an active holiday for families individuals and groups. A terrific range of outdoor activities are offered daily at a variety of locations so take your pick of a !each holiday" !ayside retreat or country escape. .ackages cater for all ages. /here are eleven sport and recreation centres around 6,' 1ead more: Camps 9new window:.

Keeping up the activity

It%s easy to get carried away with enthusiasm for family activity" then let it slip as time goes !y. /o avoid this happening:

5hoose activities the whole family will en+oy. ;ake a list of ideas from each family mem!er and choose a few activities from the list 8ary the activities to prevent !oredom 2on%t overspend 0 work out how much you can afford and choose activities !ased on that 5hoose convenient locations 0 if you need to travel for an activity 9swimming pool" park: try to make it close to home ,et goals so that your family%s progress can !e tracked" then set new goals to keep interest up.

<ealthy *ids Activities

/hink a vegeta!le can%t teach you anything= 'ell think again3 /ry these cool experiments and activities and see what you learn3

Colourful celery experiment

.lace a celery stalk in a clear container. Fill it up three--uarters full with !rightly coloured water 9+ust add some food colouring:. Look at what happens over the next few days. >ou should see the celery drinking the water. /ry the experiment with other plants 0 may!e one with a white flower. 'hat do you predict will happen= .lants draw the water up their stem and send it on to their leaves and petals. 5arefully cut the stem. 5an you see the coloured water inside= Like the celery, your body is mostly water. Without water your body wont work properly.

Salty potato experiment

5ut a potato in half. Fill two saucers/dishes with water. ;ix salt into one of the dishes and then la!el them so you which one has the salty water. .lace one potato half into each dish with the cut/flat side down 0 watch what happens after a!out ?@ minutes. /he salt water draws the water out of the potato" causing it to shrivel. Like the potato, salty food and drinks make people thirsty. You should only have these foods occasionally.

Vegetable person drawing

2raw your own Avegeta!le person% using real vegeta!les" photos of vegeta!les or a com!ination of !oth. /he picture of 8egieman may give you some ideas. Its good to eat a variety of vegetables over the week. e daring and try some new ones. Youll be surprised how good they taste!

Traffic light fruit kebabs

/o make traffic light fruit ke!a!s" you%ll need:

red fruit" such as straw!erries or plums

orange fruit" such as rockmelon or mandarin green fruit" such as honeydew" green grapes or kiwi fruit wooden skewers or large tooth picks.

5ut the fruit into !ite-si4e chunks or !alls. /hread a piece of red" orange and green fruit on a stick to make it look like a traffic light. >ou might !e a!le to fit two traffic lights on a longer stick 0 or even more3 /he ke!a!s are now ready to eat and en+oy. 'hat%s your favourite colour= As a special and healthy treat" make a plate of ke!a!s for your family or friends 0 !ut make sure you pull the stick out !efore you eat them3