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Based on your physician’s advice, try starting your day off with a boost of energy by developing a well-structured morning routine that can set the tone for a productive and fulfilling day.

•Stretching

Gentle stretches awaken your muscles and improve flexibility, preparing you for the day's activities.

•Cardio

Light cardio, like jogging or jumping jacks, gets your blood flowing and increases energy levels.

•Mindfulness

A few minutes of meditation or deep breathing can clear your mind and set a positive intention for the day.

•Hydrate

Start your day with a glass of water to replenish your body and aid digestion.

•Fuel Your Body

Choose nutrient-rich options like whole grains, fruits, and protein for sustained energy throughout the morning.

Enjoy your breakfast and pay attention to your body's signals.

Summer is the perfect time for families and friends to come together and enjoy fun outdoor activities. These family-friendly games provide challenging yet  fun filled activities that cater to all ages. Whether you have a spacious backyard or a local park nearby, these games are designed to be easy to set up, enjoyable to play, and adaptable to varying group sizes.

An Outdoor Scavenger Hunt is an adventurous game that encourages exploration and observation skills. First, create a list of items commonly found in your backyard or local park, such as leaves, rocks, flowers, or even wildlife. For younger children, you can use pictures instead of words. Divide the family into teams or have everyone work together to find all the items on the list.

To add an educational twist, include items that teach about nature, like different types of clouds or bird species. You can also incorporate challenges like finding something that begins with every letter of the alphabet or  search for items that spell out your name.

•Nature Discovery

Encourage children to learn about local flora and fauna by including specific plants or animal signs in the hunt.

•Photo Challenge

Start a digital scrapbook of your outdoor adventure.

•Eco-Friendly Fun

Incorporate tasks that involve cleaning up the environment, like collecting a certain number of pieces of litter. Use disposable gloves for this activity and have a designated trash receptacle to collect gloves used.

•Sensory Exploration

Include items that engage different senses, such as finding something smooth, rough, or that makes a certain sound.

A Backyard Obstacle Course is a versatile and exciting game that challenges participants' physical skills and creativity. Start by using everyday items from around your home and yard to create a series of obstacles. You might include hula hoops to jump through, pool noodles to limbo under, a sprinkler to run through, or a balance beam made from a plank of wood.

Ask family members to contribute ideas for obstacles, making the course design a collaborative effort. Time each participant as they navigate the course, allowing for multiple attempts to improve their speed. For added difficulty, introduce challenges like carrying a water balloon or balancing a book on their head while completing the course. This game not only promotes physical activity but also problem-solving skills as participants figure out the best way to tackle each obstacle.

•Design the Course

Gather materials and plan the layout of your obstacle course, ensuring a good mix of challenges.

•Set the Rules

Establish clear guidelines for completing each obstacle and decide on any penalties for mistakes.

•Time Trials

Have each family member attempt the course, timing their runs and keeping track of scores.

•Modify and Repeat

After everyone has had a turn, consider modifying the course to keep it fresh and challenging for multiple rounds.

Lawn Bowling is a delightful adaptation of the classic bowling alley game, perfect for outdoor family fun. To set up, use empty plastic bottles as pins and a medium-sized ball as the bowling ball. Arrange the bottles in a triangle formation on a flat area of your lawn. Mark a bowling line with a rope or chalk, ensuring it's an appropriate distance based on the age and skill level of the players.

Each player takes turns rolling the ball towards the pins, aiming to knock down as many as possible. Keep score over multiple rounds to determine the family bowling champion. For added excitement, fill the bottles with a small amount of water or sand to make them more challenging to topple. You can also decorate the bottles with colorful paint or stickers to make them more visually appealing and unique to your family game.

Lawn Bowling is a delightful adaptation of the classic bowling alley game, perfect for outdoor family fun. To set up, use empty plastic bottles as pins and a medium-sized ball as the bowling ball. Arrange the bottles in a triangle formation on a flat area of your lawn. Mark a bowling line with a rope or chalk, ensuring it's an appropriate distance based on the age and skill level of the players.

Each player takes turns rolling the ball towards the pins, aiming to knock down as many as possible. Keep score over multiple rounds to determine the family bowling champion. For added excitement, fill the bottles with a small amount of water or sand to make them more challenging to topple. You can also decorate the bottles with colorful paint or stickers to make them more visually appealing and unique to your family game.

Outdoor Tic-Tac-Toe brings the classic pencil-and-paper game to life in a larger-than-life format. Create a giant tic-tac-toe grid on your lawn using rope, chalk, or even by mowing lines into the grass. Instead of X's and O's, use items like frisbees and hula hoops, or create custom game pieces using cardboard and paint.

Players take turns placing their pieces on the grid, aiming to get three in a row horizontally, vertically, or diagonally. This oversized version adds a physical element to the game as players must move around the grid to place their pieces. For a more challenging variation, try playing with four or five pieces each, requiring four or five in a row to win. You can also create multiple grids for tournament-style play or to accommodate larger groups.

•Grid Creation

Use rope, chalk, or mowed lines to create a large tic-tac-toe grid on your lawn. Ensure the squares are big enough for your chosen game pieces.

•Game Pieces

Utilize household items like frisbees and hula hoops, or create custom X's and O's using cardboard and paint for a personalized touch.

•Gameplay

Follow standard tic-tac-toe rules, but enjoy the added physical activity of moving around the large grid. Consider variations like requiring four or five in a row for larger grids.

Frisbee Golf, also known as Disc Golf, is an engaging outdoor game that combines the precision of golf with the fun of throwing a frisbee. To set up your course, designate various targets around your yard or local park, such as trees, poles, or makeshift "holes" created from buckets or hula hoops. Number each target to create a sequence for your course.

Players take turns throwing their frisbees, aiming to reach each target in the fewest number of throws possible. Keep track of the number of throws it takes to hit each target, similar to counting strokes in traditional golf. This game not only improves throwing skills but also encourages strategic thinking as players navigate obstacles and plan their shots. For added challenge, incorporate mandatory flight paths or out-of-bounds areas. Frisbee Golf is an excellent way to explore your outdoor space and can be easily adapted for different skill levels and age groups.

Adjust difficulty by varying distances or target sizes to accommodate all skill levels.

Sack Races are a timeless and hilarious summertime game that brings laughter and excitement to family gatherings. To set up, you'll need burlap sacks or large pillowcases for each participant. Choose a flat, grassy area and mark a clear start and finish line. Players step into their sacks, hold them up around their waists, and hop their way to the designated finish line.

For younger children, consider shorter distances or allow them to hold the sack lower for easier movement.

Take the usual game of charades outdoors. Beforehand, put together a list of words, or phrases for players to act out, such as going swimming or mountain climbing. Then create teams with one player from each team taking turns acting out a word of phrase without speaking as their teammates try to guess what’s being portrayed.

Corn Hole, also known as Bean Bag Toss, involves throwing fabric bags filled with corn (or beans) onto a raised platform with a hole in the far end. To set up, place two platforms facing each other, usually about 27 feet apart for adults, but distance can be adjusted, if deemed necessary. Each team takes turns through in their bag, aiming to either land on the platform (1 point) or get the bag through the hole (3 points).