101 ways to enjoy your healthiest summer ever

Swim safely
78. Before you hit the beach, lake or pool, enrol your children in classes taught by certified swimming instructors (look for them at local community centres, pools or the Canadian Red Cross). It's fun to learn with other kids, and swimming is a vital summer skill.

79. Make an official family pact this summer (shake on it and sign your names in indelible ink) that no one ever swims alone.

80. Wear the right-size personal flotation device or life jacket every time you're in (or on) the water. You should be able to swim and manoeuvre easily in the water without it slipping around.

Bike safely
81. Outfit the whole family with bicycle helmets -– and make sure they fit properly. The Canada Safety Council says your CSA-approved helmet should be snug, not loose enough to slide forward or backward on your
head. Wear it whether you're hopping on your bicycle, in-line skates, skateboard or scooter -– it can reduce the risk of serious head injury by up to 85 per cent.

82. Spring for a new CSA-approved bike helmet that's specifically designed for your preschooler. Look for the permanent yellow label that shows that the helmet is specially designed for cyclists and cycle passengers under the age of five. The helmets are designed to protect smaller, still-growing heads with extra cushioning at specific impact points.

Take care outdoors
83. Make sure everyone on a hike carries a whistle in case they get lost. Its shrill blasts carry farther than the human voice and can be heard above the sounds of the forest.

84. Don't stand under a tree if you're caught in a thunderstorm, says the Canada Safety Council. When lightning strikes, electricity runs down the trunk, through the roots and into the ground, giving a strong shock to anyone standing nearby. Seek cover in a building or your car.

85. For no-fuss care of cuts, keep Elastoplast Spray Bandage (which sprays on and covers wounds like a second skin and is 100 per cent waterproof) in your first-aid kit. A 40-application container costs about $12.99 at drugstores.

86. Check the air quality index in your community and tailor your activities accordingly; for example, on smog alert days, exercise indoors. For more info and tips, visit Environment Canada's Air Quality Services page.

87. Put up a backyard trampoline for some wacky, fun exercise. Make sure you post a sign that says “One at a time, no fancy flips and you must be over two years old.”

Inspire your kids

88. With help from other neighbourhood parents, teach kids the games you played as children: hide-and-seek, tag and hopscotch. Then watch them play –- and make sure you join in!

89. Fill a bag with low-cost activities from your local dollar store -– elastic jump ropes, soft Frisbees, balloons and sidewalk chalk –- and let your kids choose one to do every other day.

90. Keep your kids active and encourage them to make new friends at day camps and activities run by local community centres and municipal recreation departments, says Judith Moodie, director of the Alberta Centre for Active Living in Edmonton. Day camps are great for kids who don't want to be away from home for too long and easier on your pocketbook than overnight camps.

91. If school and organized sports are on hold for the summer, let kids try a noncompetitive activity, such as dancing, gymnastics or acting.

Have fun together
92. Make jam from fresh blueberries that you've picked with your kids.

93. Plan a picnic at a conservation area, complete with three-legged races and barbecued wieners.

94. Have family night at a drive-in: put the kids in their pyjamas and bring your own popcorn.

95. Play tourist in your own home town -– spend time with family and friends exploring familiar sights from a tourist's perspective.

96. Dance to an old favourite song with your children.

97. Be a kid again with your kids -– climb the play structure, build a sandcastle and have a water fight.

98. Lie on a blanket or snuggle in sleeping bags in the backyard to enjoy a clear starry night. Teach kids about the constellations.

99. Sit on the back porch and eat watermelon –- and have a seed-spitting contest with your kids.

100. Create a family activity jar. Encourage everyone to submit activities to do together, then pick one each week.

101. Make a campfire and introduce your kids to S'mores -– place pieces of a chocolate bar on a graham cracker, toast a marshmallow and place it on top of the chocolate, then put another graham cracker on top. Lick every gooey bit off your fingers.

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