A few weeks ago, I wrote about taking the Together Counts pledge to make sure that my family eats at least one meal a week together and participates in at least one activity per week as a family. We’ve participated in a charity walk, played croquet in the backyard and walked at the mall when the weather was bad. We’ve had cookouts and picnics. Summer can open up the opportunities for outdoor activities for families or groups, which could count toward Together Counts pledges. As part of IDFA’s participation in the Healthy Weight Commitment Foundation and Together Counts, I wanted to share the following post from Lisa Gable, the executive director of the Healthy Weight Commitment Foundation. Please feel free to share with your co-workers or use it with your Together Counts group. Making outdoor activities for the family fun as well as healthy By Lisa Gable Childhood seems to have moved indoors. Kids today spend an average of four to seven minutes a day outside in unstructured play. Kids who spend all their free time in front of a video screen don’t know what they’re missing. Rather than simply tell them, parents can show them – by taking part in outdoor family activities. The Healthy Weight Commitment Foundation’s national Together Counts™ campaign, www.togethercounts.com, encourages families to engage in healthy physical activities together and to eat more meals together. There are many opportunities for families to have fun together, while encouraging kids to get into a physically active lifestyle. One way is to participate in the National Wildlife Federation’s Great American Backyard Campout® on June 25th, a nationwide event that asks families and friends to take one night and camp out in their backyards, back porches or local parks. To join the camp out, register with National Wildlife Federation at www.backyardcampout.org and open the door to sleep under the stars. The website provides camping resources and tools, such as packing lists, recipes and suggested activities. You can pledge to camp with your family in your own backyard or join up with a team of campers in your neighborhood. Great American Backyard Campout is free. NWF encourages participants to fund-raise to help support NWF programs (similar to a walk-a-thon). This spring, NWF launched Ranger Rick’s Geocache Trails, a treasure hunt that incorporates GPS positioning technology and gets kids and parents out together on healthy nature hikes to find hidden geocaches. Ranger Rick Geocache Trails GPS coordinates can be found at www.geocaching.com/rangerricktrails. It’s healthy and wholesome. Oh, one more thing – it’s a lot of fun.