For many children playing outside during summer is something that comes very naturally. As we head into autumn and eventually winter, it remains essential to find ways to get out and keep moving around. If going into the holidays you see your children are sitting around without an idea what to do, consider the following ideas:

Walking through Nature

Even if the sun does not burn quite as hot, autumn makes for a great season to take a walk. Some people find it more preferable, with the cool breezes and crisper air. If your foliage permits it, one of the significant seasonal developments is the leaves changing color and falling to the ground. Some regions’ trees have their leaves turn into highly vibrant displays of yellow and red that it almost looks like a fireworks display. As the weather gets colder, this, of course, necessitates warmer garb which a lot of people actually find fun. Some people find unique comfort in getting to wear hoodies and jackets. Walking in the autumn and winter can also be a reflective exercise. There tends to be less traffic, so going outside at this time can be a more quiet and peaceful excursion. If the situation calls for it, going for a nature walk during the holiday seasons with your children may not only be a visually stimulating experience but can also open up avenues of conversation along the way.

Raking Leaves, and Seasonal Yardwork

Outdoor chores might be a tough sell for some, but raking leaves is not only great exercise but can lend itself to fun activities. If your yard produces enough fallen leaves, you can distribute rakes and make things into a game or competition. Depending on where the leaves are pushed, this can be done to make a picture or words out of the piles, or just an overall test to see how big a leaf pile can be created. While it is an honored tradition for some to leap onto a pile of freshly raked leaves, this should be approached with some caution. Even for smaller children, a formidable amount of leaves may be needed to provide ample cushioning. And even if the leaf count seems adequate, there’s no reliable way to know if an errant rock or stick is poking up at a risky angle in the pile. Potentially a lot of fun, but not something that is entirely without risk.

Backyard Barbecue and Football

While cooking outdoors in the summertime is very common, some people don’t put the grill to rest just yet when fall arrives. The holidays are home to numerous traditions involving gathering with friends and family, where food often binds everything together. Some people find it comfortable to stand in front of a grill or other outdoor cooker and let the heat of the fires stave off the effects of an otherwise chilly day. In fact, since an outdoor cooking fire in summer gets too hot for some, many consider fall the superior grilling season.

Football isn’t necessarily culturally universal, but for many families, it is traditional to throw the pigskin around at this time of year. It coincides with the professional and collegiate seasons of the sport, and the cooler weather can help mitigate the rising body temperature associated with the exercise. Just make sure no one gets too sweaty, then have that sweat go cold on the skin while outside. If you’re playing with your children, a rousing game of touch football can be a fun way to get in some quality time, as well as a lot of exercise. When put together, an outdoor barbecue along with some autumnal football can make for an unbeatable activity.

Avoid Getting Sick

If staying active is the objective, then illness is one of the quickest ways to derail things. As the seasons grow colder, many children tend to get sick at this time, certainly compared to summer. Circumstantially this can be difficult to avoid. Schools can act as concentrated vectors of illness, and if one even slightly sick student shows up, this can potentially be passed on to numerous more. When your child is sick, being active is often the least of their worries. At that point, you’re just trying to reach and maintain the baseline function. To help mitigate seasonal illnesses, consider teaching or refreshing some protocols to reduce risk as much as possible.

Washing hands with soap is a must. First, wet the hands with water then lather the soap for twenty seconds. Some say a simple one verse rendition of ‘Happy Birthday’ about fills this time requirement. Rinse hands off then dry with a towel.

Covering your mouth while sneezing goes a long way in keeping outbreaks down. Teach your children if they must sneeze to either direct the blast into the sleeves of their shirt or a tissue. A lot of viral infections travel via droplets that can wreak havoc if they reach the circulatory system. By preventing these droplets from becoming airborne as much as possible, the risk of illness can hopefully be kept to a minimum.

If you wish for further advice, consulting your family doctor may not be a bad idea. If they are local, they may have an opinion on protocols that can keep your children healthy during the holiday season. They may also have input on how to ensure they remain physically active during that period. Another thing to consider is seeing a chiropractor. One of the things chiropractic specializes in is optimizing circulation throughout the body through the maintenance of the joints and the spine. Making sure the body is aligned correctly can boost the performance of the immune system and be an additional measure in keeping sickness at bay.

One of the most significant habits we can form for better health is simply moving around as much as possible. It is a natural tendency, especially as we get older, to move around a bit less as the weather gets colder and the festivities of the holidays dominate the schedule. However, with a little bit of looking, one can easily find a fun reason to get out of the house during this time of year. Who knows, you may find yourself a new tradition you will look forward to every year.