![\"Active](\"http:\/\/thehappyhousewife.com\/real-life\/files\/2014\/08\/Active-Healthy-Kids.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\nMake extra curricular activities – active<\/h3>\n
Our children have always enjoyed organized activities\u00a0like soccer, basketball, or dance. When choosing what our\u00a0children are going to participate in each year, we try to focus on things that will help them burn off energy (they have a lot of it!) and build character at the same time. We also try to find activities that\u00a0includes all family members in some way.<\/p>\n
For our family we found soccer worked\u00a0best. Most of my\u00a0kids played on a team and Cora was always a helper at practice when she was too little to play. My older children also were involved in coaching some of the younger teams which kept them\u00a0very active.<\/p>\n
Schedule\u00a0family fun time<\/h3>\n
Not every family is a sports family, and if your family prefers\u00a0activities\u00a0that are a little less active remember to schedule in some active time on the weekends. Hiking, swimming, walking, bike riding and bowling are\u00a0fun activities for the entire family which can be done on a budget!<\/p>\n
Schedule buffer\u00a0time before bed<\/h3>\n
It can be hard for kids to go from activity to activity and then fall asleep. Unless of course they fall asleep from exhaustion in the car on the way home! Schedule thirty minutes of down time before bed for\u00a0children to unwind and decompress from the day. My kids love to read or listen to audio books in their room.<\/p>\n
This is a great way for them to relax and hopefully get a good night’s sleep!<\/p>\n
Start the day with a healthy breakfast<\/h3>\n
Kids need a well balanced, low sugar breakfast in the morning to help them concentrate on their studies.<\/p>\n
We have a tradition of making\/ getting donuts for someone’s birthday in our house. While I love this tradition, my kids can be crazy sugar monsters after a breakfast of like that! Donuts are perfect\u00a0for a special day, but for every day help your child succeed in school by providing him healthier, high protein options for breakfast.<\/p>\n
Make healthy choices easier<\/h3>\n
My kids love convenience so whatever food is easiest for them to eat they will grab. I’m convinced that if peas came in a plastic pouch my kids would be eating them like crazy!<\/p>\n
To help my kids make smart choices at snack time I cut\u00a0fruit and veggies and keep them in small containers in the fridge. I also try to keep cheese sticks\/ slices,\u00a0and yogurt in the fridge for a quick snack. My kids know that they can always have fruits, vegetables, nuts, yogurt, milk, and cheese whenever they are hungry.<\/p>\n
They don’t need permission, they can just grab it for themselves. Of course if it is 5 minutes before dinner that’s a different story, but I’ve found that if I make healthy snacks available to my kids they are more likely to choose them over chips or candy.<\/p>\n
Make snack time fun<\/h3>\n
Make snack time fun by offering your kids cheese sticks, grapes on a toothpick, apple slices with peanut butter, celery with cream cheese, frozen banana slices, or yogurt Tuberz\u2122.<\/p>\n
My kids are\u00a0more willing to try new things or make healthy choices if those choices are presented to them in a fun way.<\/p>\n
Remember kids are more likely to succeed when they get plenty of exercise, rest, and healthy food (and so do adults). Jump start your school year by getting a plan together now for how you can make it happen in your family.<\/p>\n
This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Horizon Organic. The opinions and text are all mine.<\/p>\n
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