Quaker asked me to talk about their fantastic partnership with Fuel Up to Play 60 and the NFL. All opinions are my own.

For the Love of Play: One Super Easy Way to Get Kids Active | PrettyOpinionated.com

Anyone who knows me knows I’m incredibly vocal about giving kids time to play. Ever since my son was in kindergarten, I’ve been a very loud advocate for more recess (I have yet to win, but that doesn’t stop me from trying!). I never had a problem getting Jacob active when he was little. As he gets older, though, his passions run more towards video games and other activities in the house. Oddly, he often gets more exercise playing games than he does running around, since he never sits still while playing. Still, I want him to get out and be a kid!

For the Love of Play

Quaker Goodies

This fall, just in time for football season, Quaker has teamed up with Fuel Up to Play 60 and the NFL to create the For the Love of Play campaign. This fabulous campaign has two goals: to fuel up healthy families and get them active for 60 minutes every day, be it at home, in school or anywhere else. Unfortunately, Jacob only gets less than 15 minutes of recess every day at school, so he has to get the majority of his active time at home.

My Number One Easy & Fun Way to Get Kids Active

Want to know my number one secret to getting Jacob active? I kick him out of the house. That’s it! I find that once he’s outside, he will find something active to do. Case in point: this weekend we were over at Sal’s house for the afternoon. Sal’s son is 10 and Jacob is 9. Together, they’re insanely loud and crazy! Sal lives in a small place, so you can imagine how noisy it gets. They didn’t want to go outside, even though it was a beautiful day. Finally, Sal said “enough, go out and play!”

We supplied the boys with punching balloons (I picked up a bag for $1). I find that giving Jacob something totally silly and simple inspires more active play time than actually trying to structure an activity. Check out how much fun they had beating each other up with them!

Quaker Play 1

I also brought along Jacob’s scooters, since Sal has a nice big lot in front of his place. Jacob never did get into bike riding, but both he and Logan love racing around on scooters!

Quaker Play 3

Once they were outside, they didn’t even want to come back in for dinner! So next time your kids say they’re too tired, too bored, too whatever to play outside, just kick them out! I bet they’ll be having fun in no time!

Share your unique ideas for a Family Day of Play

Now through December 1, 2014, visit QuakerMakethePlay.com to share your unique way that your family plays together for a chance to win! The grand prize? A “Day of Play” in your hometown with  Indianapolis Colts Quarterback Andrew Luck. Luck is teaming up with Quaker for the third year in a row to help encourage families to eat healthy and stay active. Plus, there are daily giveaways for $50 NFLShop.com online gift cards. After you enter, join the conversation and share your tips for staying active with your social networks. Use the hashtag #QuakerPlayMaker to follow along.

 

Quaker Family Gift Pack Giveaway

Want to win an awesome gift pack to help keep your family active? Gift packs will feature a variety of items perfect for active families, including:

  •  An LED Light-Up Frisbee perfect for playtime outdoors with the whole family
  •  A Mini Football for kids to enjoy team games
  •  A Stopwatch to time fun activities and ensure your family gets 60 minutes of play per day
  • A set of Mini-Desk Cones for families to create their own games or relay races
  • A handy sports bag to stay organized while keeping active

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Total giveaway value is approximately $46. Giveaway is open to US residents age 18+ and ends on October 1st.  Quaker is providing the prizes for this program at no cost to me. This program is not administered or sponsored by Quaker or its affiliates, but solely by Pretty Opinionated.