Mumsnet users share with Sainsbury's what would get their children up and active

[EllieMumsnet]

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We all know it’s hard to get our children to keep active, especially during the holidays when sitting inside watching TV and playing computer games seem like the more appealing options. Sainsbury’s wants to get to the bottom of this and understand what barriers parents face during the summer holidays in getting your DCs active and in an ideal world what would it take to help you to get them up and about?

Sainsbury’s says: “We want to understand what challenges you and your family face when keeping active in the holidays. We know there are plenty of reasons, but we’re particularly keen to identify the types of support that would help your kids to get active. Do you want to send your children to a local sports camp, but there isn’t one nearby? Or would you like to see more frequent family park runs happening in your local community? Whatever would help your kids to get up on their feet this summer, we want to know!”

Let us know the barriers you face and any suggestions you have to get your children active on the thread below and you will be entered into a prize draw where one winner will receive a £300 Sainsbury’s voucher.

Thanks and good luck!
MNHQ

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It is so hard to get children out and about with the weather being so unreliable. Have to rely mainly on indoor activities. My son loves swimming and karate. We take them weekly to a play centre or indoor trampolining, which are great activities when the weather is rubbish. But when the weather is nice, we go on long walks and take their bikes/scooters. We pack a bag - football, cricket kit, food and drink and spend all day outdoors. They love it.

The chance to do some sports in fancy dress - at the moment he's obsessed with going ANYWHERE in a costume! I think it's the chance to make 'boring exercise' seem like a fun activity, and especially being able to do that while having fun with the other children is a plus!

My children are 6, 8, 12 and 15. Finding something they all want to do at the same time is a nightmare! My eldest will refuse to come if its not something that shes into . Shes 'too cool' to be seen out with her mum these days and defo cant be seen with her siblings!

Bike/Scooter rides are usually the only thing that they all agree on. The older two ride off along the canal whilst i play mini games with the younger two such as 'what can we find?' or how many can we see? and marking them all down that on a book that they keepin the basket (along with any treasures we find) on their bikes.scooters.

Saying that the next city along to us have a huge fountain and in the summer all the kids get in it and have so much fun! all free too! we went last year and my daughter agreed to come as we said we were going out for tea too. My younger mini people all got in the fountain after we had had our meals and my eldest said she wouldnt be going despite complaining about being too hot! I went to the toilets and as i was walking back i noticed she had gone to join them!! She loved every minute of it!

My little girl loves the outdoors, so swimming, nature trails, cooking on campfires, bug hunting, climbing trees

Mine love going to the local park

Nice weather, bikes at the ready & a group of friends!

Good weather is all it takes to make them want to get out and play in the garden or park and be active

we have a wonderful football camp nearby which my son absolutely loves to go to during school holidays...active all day, making new friends and learning new skills....and shattered on the evening which is perfect for me :)

Den building and bike rides :) I have to partake as well of course

We are pretty active anyway, but I really want us to visit the beach again this year. We moved house last year so that was an adventure in itself.

Finding out information on local activities is getting more difficult even with the local paper and being members of loads of local facebook groups. I often find out about activity days just before they start and it is a mad panic trying to get the kids on them so I would like to see better information that is more wide spread.
Also more interesting activities would be good. I know my kids would love things that are a bit more adrenaline inducing than the usual things that seem to be organised.

The weather being nice (though living in Scotland, this is rare!)

If the weather fails, an organised activity with other children of similar ages. For example, a 'summer school' where the kids get together everyday for a week or so and play games, make things etc. They keep the children occupied, whilst being relatively low cost.

My son loves Ninja Warriors so we have built a little course in our garden using objects etc that we already have. It's easy to make a Ninja Warrior course in the local park too so my son loves to do that and time his friends.

Our Grandchildren are are all very sporty and play sports on a regular basis. As such they don't need any motivation as they have been brought up in an environment where sport and outside activities are the norm.

I think I'm quite lucky that my two girls absolutely love being outside and active. A trip to the park can last hours! We are also quite lucky that we live close to the countryside, have lots of good local play parks and country parks.

This year's plan for Easter/Summer is to get them both riding their bikes more often! We have lots of local cycle paths and even a cyclopark!

I’d had to force them ! They’re teens x

I have three teenagers and the two boys would be happily inactive all holiday if left to their own devices so I still have to plan family activities to get them out and about. We live by the sea so enjoy messing around on the beach with cricket sets etc. Some things change as they get older but you can still play beach games, have picnics etc. I find just going for a walk doesn't work anymore- they need focus and direction to motivate them now.

My autistic 4YO hates wearing clothes so it can take a while to convince him to get dressed but once he does, a trip to the park is his favourite thing!

A junior assault course in the local park would really motivate my two DC to get moving.

If i ran off down the street with their ipads they would chase after me, only kidding my kids love the outdoors but going somewhere by the river is a good cheap way of getting kids outside or for walks in the woods, as kids can pick up sticks and go looking for wildlife.

We go out walking come rain or shine, having good waterproof clothing helps, we are lucky lots of beautiful walks around us, we take a lovely picnic and of course some treats for the dogs!

A bit of sunshine and we are trampoline gods, well sort of, mabybe not but it is good fun.

I'm having a new baby in a matter of days, so my Summer will be spent out and about, exploring everything new and exciting

Me and my son love the rain but my daughter is not a fan so that's the barrier for her! We've enjoyed some rock hunting and hiding recently. Known as bbrox we decorate them and hide for others to find.

We are in the Scottish Highlands so somewhat weather dependant. We have lots of lovely walks, parks and beaches nearby but not much fun if it's wet. My son loves swimming but it costs around £10 for the two of us so we rarely go now. Free or cheap access to the local pools would be the best thing for us.