Sunday, June 27, 2004

When parents tell their kids to turn off the TV and do something active, some kids will complain. Not Belinda Palmers 8-year-old, Clayton, and 10-year-old, Rachael.

Sometimes Ill just come in and say, Thats enough, she said. But theyre good about it; they dont fuss too much. If you just say, No TV, they can come up with something to do.

Summer is a time when its easy for kids to be lazy but its also easy to be active, and many healthy activities can be done at home or in the neighborhood. Belinda and her husband, Digby, make their children stay active during the summer instead of sitting inside in front of the television or a video game. And, not surprisingly, the kids have learned to embrace an active lifestyle.

I like to call my friends over and skateboard while my moms doing yardwork or doing inside stuff, Clayton said. Or I go into treehouse and play army men. Another thing I like to do in the summer is play Jurassic Park in the cow fields by my house. I also like to ride my friends motor scooter while he races me on a bike.

Clayton added that he sometimes gets mad when his mother makes him turn off the television, but not too often. He and his sister stay active on a swim team during the summer, Belinda said.

Sometimes my daughter and I read a book together, she said. We all like to camp, but for the last two years another father and his two sons and my husband and Clayton take a father-son camping trip. They go fishing and do male stuff.

Its inevitable that children will watch some television during the summer, but the important thing is to not let it constitute the majority of their days. The situation is similar in Tammy and Charles Adams house, where 7-year-old Will and 4-year-old Jackson are required to stay active during the summer.

Hes in Westerns Big Red camp, Tammy said. Its a day camp that lasts from 7:30 to 4:30 on weekdays. Hes able to go swimming at the Preston Center, play games, do arts and crafts, take field trips.

Even though Jackson is very young, he also does constructive things during the summer he goes to preschool at Creative Learning. Tammy said its important to keep kids active for their health as well as their social lives, even if its just around the house.

Its about finding activities that kids enjoy and making plans to do those things on a regular basis, whether its going to the park, swimming, riding bikes or walking in the neighborhood, she said. Theyre things they already enjoy, so they dont see it as exercise, but as a fun activity with their family.

Will says the rule to play outside is perfectly fine with him.

I like to swim and play outside and play tennis, he said. Camp is fun.

Bowling Green is filled with families who enjoy being outdoors, just like the Adamses and the Palmers. Tiffany Jordan, an office assistant with Bowling Green Parks and Recreation, said the city parks see a lot more people during the summer months and many parks are within walking distance of neighborhoods.

The citys parks and recreation department runs a summer day camp for kids that revolves around Bowling Green City Schools schedule, Jordan said.

Its specifically for kids when theyre out of school so theyll have something to do, she said.

Kids can learn a variety of new skills through the city parks summer programs, which include tennis camps, T-ball and swimming lessons, Jordan said. One tennis program even has a Cartoon Network theme for $60, kids can get two weeks of tennis lessons and a package from the network, which includes a T-shirt, a racket bag, wristbands, a sun visor, a tennis ball and other items with Scooby Doo on them.

Its a lot busier in the summertime, Jordan said. We get lots of calls every day to rent out the shelters or the parks for different events.

Tana Duke, a program manager with Warren County Parks and Recreation, said the organization doesnt have any specific day programs for kids, but representatives will go to schools in the area and help out with camps there.

However, she said, the parks are a lot busier in the summertime with families playing disc golf or other outdoor activities.

The Coalition for a Healthy and Active America, which promotes active lifestyles for children, offers several tips for ways to keep kids out of the house during the summer and they dont involve driving anywhere. Creating games for kids to play outside is one way to keep their interests outdoors, as is walking to friends houses and playing with pets.

Even if it rains, parents or baby-sitters can invent games that can be more active and educational than watching television.

Theres an importance in having a balance in kids lives, said Laura Kelley of McNeely Pigott & Fox, a Nashville-based public relations firm that manages publicity for CHAA. Fighting childhood obesity is the main goal right now.

Kelley added that having friends or siblings around is a good incentive for kids to be active.

If you get kids outdoors and with each other, they have more of a tendency to be active than when theyre alone, she said. Its easy to sit and watch TV by yourself. So I would encourage neighborhood kids to get together anything other than keeping kids by themselves.

For more information on activities at Bowling Green Parks and Recreation, call 393-3249. For Warren County Parks and Recreation, call 842-5302.  Daily News ·813 College St. ·PO Box 90012 ·Bowling Green, KY ·42102 ·270-781-1700