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5 ‘Extreme’ Sports for Kids

With summer in full swing, a lot of parents out there are counting down the days until school starts again. Many kids spend the summers at home without much to do except sit inside and play videogames all day. It can be hard to come up with activities that will get the kids moving and outside, while also keeping them busy and out of trouble.

Sports can be a great idea, but many of the more popular ones use the summer as an off season. Conventional sports are also not for everyone; some kids may have special needs that make it difficult for them to play, and others may just not be interested. If you’re looking for some fun summer activities to get your kids involved in, check out the list below. For even more ideas, check out www.beactiveoutside.com – it has something for everyone!

Little boy wearing a helmet riding a bicycle.
Biking
At first glance, biking may seem more like a common child’s activity more than a “sport”. Kids use bikes to get around the neighborhood, and they don’t usually seem too tired afterword. But theses are just short distance rides; to get the full effect, try taking your kids for longer rides in the evenings. You could begin with riding one or two miles and start adding little more distance with each ride; your kids just might surprise you with how fast and far they can go. Of course, don’t forget to grab everyone a helmet!

Gymnastics
We’ve all seen the amazing things that gymnasts can do whilst watching the summer Olympics. Whether your kid is there to go for gold or just expending a little energy, gymnastics is a fantastic full body workout and runs all year long. Boys and girls of all ages and ability levels will build muscle and bone strength, improve coordination, and have a blast.

Paddle Boarding
Nothing says summer quite like a trip to the lake or beach. If there’s one near you, you might try taking your kids paddle boarding. Believe it or not, you can actually rent child sized paddle boards and paddles; with a little practice, your kids will be able to do it all on their own. Paddle boarding is great because it is a demanding yet low impact exercise that is accessible to a lot of people and will definitely tire your kids out. To do it standing requires your child to use a lot of core strength (you can always do it sitting if standing is too difficult), to move with the paddle uses a lot of upper body muscles. At the end of the day, your kids will have gotten a full body workout!

Paddle Boating 
Not to be confused with paddle boarding, paddle boating involves small boats that are moved with pedals located in the footwell of each seat. Paddle boating is another activity that is good for families because the boats will still move even if not everyone is pedaling. Paddle boats usually seat 2-4 people and can be rented at lakes or other still/slow moving bodies of water. The pedaling is a fantastic lower body workout and being out on the water helps keep you cool. As long as your kids can reach the pedals, they’ll be in for a leg day they’ll never forget.

Kayaking/Canoeing 
In the same water-sport vein, you could try taking your kids kayaking or canoeing. Both are great activities for the whole family, and accessible to people of all activity levels. As a quick aside: kayaks come with one or two seat openings in the top and the legs are covered. Canoes are small boats that have benches inside and the top is uncovered. Both require paddling to move – they’re a great upper body workout. This sport might be better suited for kids who are old enough to help paddle; otherwise, you might end up doing all the work on your own.



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