“Summer is the annual permission
slip to be lazy. To
do nothing and have
it count for something. To lie in
the
grass and count the stars. To sit on a
branch and count the clouds.”
--Regina
Brett
Remember summer vacations
when you were young? Growing up in
California, I spent hours as a kid in the branches of the walnut trees in our
yard. Each branch became a different “room”
where I would daydream and imagine life's "what if's" until my mother announced it was
time to come in for dinner.
Another summer vacation
memory is of family trips, camping under the oldest and tallest trees in
the world, hiking in National Parks such as Yosemite and the Grand Canyon, family reunions in the Rocky Mountains. Spending summers outside, exploring,
connecting with and listening to nature is what I loved then and love now.
Take your kids outside. Walk on the beach. Lie in the grass and count the stars. Go take a hike. Learn a new swimming stroke. Have a neighborhood jump rope festival. Ride bikes. Run. Jog.
Skip down the street. Learn how to play tennis. Laugh often.
Summertime is for making memories,
time off from school, and being active. Make physical fun and fitness a family tradition. Be
happy. Make fresh fruit popsicles. Have fun. Live out loud. Connect with nature. Now run fast and go play!
In gratitude,
Nancy L. Heinrich, MPH
Founder, Growing Healthy Kids
