Happy October!
October always brings the feel of Fall, promising perfect-weather days
and crisp, refreshing nights. It’s a
time of year that beckons for long walks, time spent on the patio, and games to
be played outside. I recently saw a
segment on the Fox4KC website with the title: “Do your kids suffer from nature
deficiency disorder?” Obviously, this is
not a real disorder but there has definitely been a change in what children and
families do for entertainment, even since I was growing up. Even though technology is the wave of the
future, spending time outside not only creates a sense of grounding but also
develops a respect for where we live and the environment. In addition, spending time outside encourages
all of us to live a healthy and active lifestyle, something that is desperately
needed as rates for obesity, diabetes, etc. soar in our country.
So, I implore you: Go Outside!
Play! There is so much to do
right now; here are some ideas:
22 Fun Things To Do This Fall and Stay Active
1.
Go for a walk or bike ride with your loved ones
(or by yourself for some “me” time)
2.
Have fun at a pumpkin patch
3.
See if there is a Fall festival nearby you can
go to
4.
Run through a corn maze
5.
Plant bulbs in your garden for pretty Spring
flowers
6.
Try geocaching and find some treasures (do
nearby or take have an adventure and go to a near-by state park)
7.
Put up Halloween decorations
8.
Jump in the leaves (or just run through them,
enjoying their crisp, crunching sound)
9.
Play hopscotch
10.
Throw a Frisbee (you could even try a game of Frisbee
golf)
11.
Build something (we are going to build a fort
for my son…very exciting!)
12.
Go for a hike in nature (need ideas of where to
go? Just google search “hike (your
state)”)
13.
Carve a pumpkin
14.
Rake leaves and use them to make cute (or scary)
ghosts to hang in your trees
15.
Fly a kite
16.
Go to an apple orchard to pick apples and then
make applesauce and caramel apples
17.
See how many colors of Fall leaves you can
collect and then make “stained glass” with them (iron the leaves between two
sheet of max paper)
18.
Enjoy doing an exercise circuit in the cool,
brisk air (jumping jacks, squats, pushups, side knees, lunges, etc.)
19.
Play a game of touch football or a game of
baseball (you can even use trees or other markers in your yard as the bases (my
son and I run around the tree after he hits the ball)
20.
Get your friends and family to do a run/walk
21.
Visit the zoo (it will be less crowded)
22.
Pick out your favorite, yummy Fall fruits and
vegetables at the City Market (or another farmer’s market near you)
Take some time to enjoy the beautiful weather of Fall; I promise if you
go outside, and take a deep breath, you will relax and feel more grounded. Then it’s time to go out and have some fun!
Want other ideas? Check out
these links:
Raised Bridge
(Note: To increase
the intensity of this move, add a weight) 
