Family Day is a great opportunity to be active with your family. Being active together is fun and will help your children to be active for life. Research shows that daily physical activity is great for our physical, mental, and social health. But many of us, including children, are not getting the recommended levels of physical activity.
The 24-Hour Movement Guidelines advise us to move more, reduce the time that we sit, and get good sleep. They tell us how much and what kind of physical activity each age group should be doing every day for good health.
Spending time in nature has benefits for both our physical and mental health. Exposing young children to nature will help them to develop a lifelong love of the outdoors. Opportunities to play outside in all kinds of weather also helps with this. And of course, children are more likely to take part in outdoor activities if you do too!
Whatever your budget, there are plenty of activities your family can do to make wonderful memories on Family Day and throughout the year.
Consider these no cost/low-cost activities:
• Go on a family hike! Explore great trails in or near Ottawa
• Go for a walk along the Rideau Canal or in the Byward Market
• Go for a family swim
• Bring your helmets and go for a family skate at a local arena or outdoor rink
Bring your helmets and go tobogganing on approved hills
Other ideas:
• Rent some snowshoes for a family outing
• Go cross country skiing
• Go to an indoor rock climbing studio
Have a great Family Day!
