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When the summer weather arrives, what better way to celebrate than with some water sports! Getting outside and into the water is a great way to get exercise and stay cool during the warmer months. At Fitness by the Sea, we’re lucky to have the benefit of enjoying so many water activities. Located right on the beach, our campers get to experience the best of these five water sports.

Swimming

One of the most classic summer activities is still one of our favorites! All you need is a body of water, and luckily for us at Fitness by the Sea, both of our locations are on the ocean. If you aren’t close to the beach, swim in a pool (even an inflatable one works) or lake. In addition to being great overall exercise, strong swimming skills are important for kids.

A great part of swimming is you can combine it with any number of activities. There are so many swimming styles to master, races with friends to compete in, and games to play. If your child hasn’t taken swimming lessons, what better time than the summer to start!

Surfing

This requires a few more prerequisites than swimming, but once you have the conditions you need, there are fewer more exciting water sports than surfing. Surfing lessons may be harder to find than swimming lessons, but once you have a surfboard and some waves, you can finally experience why so many people fall in love with the sport! Surfing is a full-body workout and is a unique way to stay in shape during the summer.

At Fitness by the Sea, we even have professional surfing instructors for kids. Surfing is a fun alternative to swimming and is a great way to stay cool this summer. If you have the resources available, try it out and you may find your new favorite sport.

Skimboarding

What if the waves aren’t big enough at your local beach? Luckily skimboarding provides a similar sensation as surfing, without needing any big waves. Skimboards are much smaller than surfboards, making them more convenient to bring to and from the beach. The best part is, there are no lessons needed!

Skimboarding can take a bit of getting used to, but once you learn the basics it’s a great source of cardio and balance training! Skimboarding is just another one of the unique water sports kids participate in at Fitness by the Sea!

Boogie Boarding

Boogie boarding provides the convenience of skimboarding, but is much more beginner-friendly. Once you find a boogie board and some small waves, the fun can begin! It’s a fun way to play in the waves and has a much smaller learning curve than surfing. This is also a great way of working your way up to surfing or skimboarding. This is one of our campers’ favorite water activities in the summer.

Paddling

Speaking of exercise, how about paddling? A lot of water activities for kids involve strengthening their legs. Paddling, however, builds upper body strength and is a nice rest for their legs after swimming all day. It’s also a great option if surfing or skimboarding seems a bit too stressful or intensive. Paddling can be a great way to relax while also getting some exercise on a nice, sunny day.

At Fitness by the Sea, water sports are one of our favorite summer activities and our campers love making new friends while surfing, swimming, or just enjoying the ocean. Interested in having your kid participate in our camps? Choose your location and register or learn more!

Keeping kids active can seem challenging, especially during times they aren’t in school like the summer. At Fitness by the Sea, we use a variety of activities to make sure that campers are staying healthy while also having fun. See which of these fun fitness activities your kids gravitate to and keep them active all year long!

Play a Sport

This may seem like an easy choice, but sports are a great way to get kids outside and staying active. There are so many sports to choose from that it doesn’t matter how many participants you have. If you have a large group, a sport like soccer or basketball is a great way to get everyone involved. Large group sports are a great opportunity to get better at a game or even learn a new one.

Have fewer people? Not a problem! There are plenty of athletic activities for one, two, or three people. Creating your own Olympic style competition can keep your kids exercising, while also allowing them to switch things up every once in a while.

Go to the Park, Playground, or Beach

Any open space will do, but these three spots are prime for fitness activities. There’s so much potential at these locations so not only is there something for everyone, there’s almost no limit to the fitness activities available to you. Playgrounds have the benefit of having built-in equipment for kids to climb, run, and jump on. Parks have enough wide-open space that you can bring a frisbee, a lawn game, or any other items to encourage exercise.

Fitness by the Sea’s Santa Monica and Pacific Palisades locations are in perfect spots, right on the beach. The beach is great for playing volleyball, jogging along the water, and of course swimming. On a nice summer day, there’s nothing better than spending it at the beach. 

Go for a Walk or a Run

Going for a walk, jog, or run can be a great fitness activity for both you and your kid. It can make for a new bonding experience and is great exercise. Even just getting them out of the house and walking around the neighborhood is a fun way for them to get their steps for the day. You can even have races in your backyard or down the street.

If you live by any trails or ponds, these can be great scenic walks on a nice day. Even if you or your kid don’t normally enjoy exercise, this is a great way to enjoy the views while staying fit.

Try a Summer Camp

Many summer camps already incorporate many of these activities into their daily routine. Campers at Fitness by the Sea, for example, have opportunities for varied activities from surfing to dance and more. Kids at a summer camp have the benefit of having a lot of new friends to participate in fun fitness activities with. It’s also great for parents who don’t have a lot of time to oversee these activities.

At Fitness by the Sea, staying active is easy with our diverse selection of summer fitness activities. Interested in having your kid participate in our camps? Choose your location and register or learn more!

Kids are naturally curious, but sometimes they need a little extra push to spark their creativity. At Fitness at the Sea, our campers participate in many of the activities found here to help foster their creativity. Here are 10 ways to stimulate their minds and encourage them to create!

Make Arts & Crafts

Arts and crafts remain one of the most tried and true activities to help kids stay creative. There are so many great ideas, take our “30 Summer Crafts for Kids” for example, that there’s bound to be something for everyone. Through creating their own art, kids learn design skills and hone their creativity by adding in their own unique twists. To make this even better, you’ll even get a cute piece of art to display in your home!

Sing or Dance

Whether it’s your kid’s favorite song or one they made up on their own, singing or dancing is a great way to get them involved with music. Exploring new music allows them to expand their musical taste, while singing helps them learn the words and maybe even discover new talent. Not only is dancing fun, but it also doubles as exercise! Create a fun routine and teach your kid some new moves.

Play an Instrument

Learning an instrument as a child not only enhances their love of music, it also helps them develop their music skills at a young age! The benefits of learning to play an instrument have been widely documented, so in addition to sparking their creativity, they’re also going to benefit from the long-term effects including improved neural processing. Teaching your child basic notes or scales can lead to learning songs or even making their own!

Learn Magic Tricks

The great thing about teaching your kid a magic trick is that you probably already have the materials you need at home. Use a deck of cards, a hat, or a coin and you already have all you need! If you’d like, you can even buy a kit at the store that comes complete with instructions and the necessary components. Teaching your kid a magic trick encourages them to learn even more to impress their friends and family.

Create a Science Experiment

Who says science experiments are only for school? Not only can your kid creatively customize their own creation, but they’ll also learn a bit more about science. A fair amount of science projects you find online are safe, which means as long as you’re supervising, your kid can safely have some fun learning about something new. A lot of the classics still hold up today, so break out those baking soda volcanos or make some rock candy! 

Explore Nature

Getting your kids out of the house and into nature is great for exercise and its calming effect on people. Providing your kid with some time to explore nature, away from electronics, allows them to relax and think more clearly. If you want to take it one step further, you can teach your child about flowers and plants or encourage them to start their own garden in your backyard. Camps like Fitness at the Sea have the added benefit of constantly surrounding our campers with nature.

Teach them Basic Cooking

Does your kid know how to make their favorite lunch? How about their weekend breakfast? Even if they’re not old enough to make the whole thing, teaching them the recipe is a fun bonding experience that can lead to a love of cooking. Read through a cookbook with them and if they point anything out, make it together! Cooking is often overlooked as a creative activity, but it’s an essential skill for when they grow up.

Perform Theatre

Kids love to play pretend and act things out, so why not get them excited about theatre? Play some acting games or act out a scene from their favorite movie. Not only is this fun, it improves their reading and speech skills. If they enjoy it enough, they might even start writing their own plays. Teaching kids about theatre also prepares them for youth theatre programs, camps, and more!

Go to a Museum

Museums of all types and sizes will give kids creative ideas. If there’s a children’s museum near you, explore it with your kid and see what they’re drawn to. This might give you ideas for what other activities they can channel their creativity into. For instance, if they’re drawn to art, give them the resources they need to create their own. 

Read Books

Reading books with your kid is a great way to get them thinking creatively. Not only is this a healthy hobby to have, but reading books with your kid strengthens their development. Books spark curiosity and prepare kids for reading in school and beyond. It may even inspire them to write their own stories. 

At Fitness by the Sea, we offer many creative activities that your child will love to participate in, including arts and crafts, and face painting. Interested in having your kid participate in our camps? Choose your location and register or learn more!

Parents often involve their children in youth sports for the physical benefits of additional exercise and activity. While this is certainly a beneficial factor, the social and mental element of youth sports is just as important. Children learn social skills through multiple outlets including school, peers, and their parents. By adding sports to your child’s repertoire, you offer one more learning channel. 

Fitness by the Sea provides a fun environment for kids to learn new sports and develop themselves. Whether kids are playing on a team or competing as an individual, youth sports are incredibly helpful for improving social skills. 

Learning about Teamwork

What better way to learn about teamwork than to play on a sports team? Teaching kids how to collaborate is a crucial social skill, both in sports and in most facets of life. While working as a team, not only will kids’ athletic performances improve, but they’ll have a much more enjoyable time knowing that they accomplished something together with their peers. In addition to learning about the benefits of teamwork, working as a team also promotes empathy and togetherness.

As part of a team, children learn how to help others and appreciate the people around them. Teaching the importance of cooperation at an early age helps students in school, their personal lives, and beyond. At Friendship by the Sea, sports are used to create bonds between campers and foster teamwork.

Creating New Friendships

Childhood friendships are an important part of a child’s life. No matter the sport, meeting new people helps build connections that might not have happened otherwise. Whether they’re on the same team or competing against each other, youth sports bring people together and creates bonds that last long past the season’s end. Through competition and working together, it’s much easier for kids to make new friends. 

Even individual sports, including gymnastics and martial arts, create camaraderie through close, social interaction. They might not be working as a team in the literal sense, but meeting other children with similar interests and goals can easily become long-lasting friendships. Meeting friends through sports might even encourage them to want to continue the sport!

Developing Emotional Maturity

Learning to win or lose with respect at a young age sets up children for success later in life. Whether or not they continue playing sports when they’re older, developing the skills to deal with adversity is helpful for many situations they’ll face later in life. Youth sports also teach children how to practice in order to see improvement and try their hardest, even if the outcome isn’t what they wanted. Parents and coaches also play a role in helping children develop mature traits including respect for their teammates and opponents.

Becoming a Better Communicator and Listener

The ability to communicate properly is one of the most important skills a child can learn. Between communicating with teammates and taking instructions from a coach, youth sports reinforce strong communication and listening skills. Learning the details of a sport from a coach, parent, or teammate allows kids to receive information and use it to develop their athletic skills. When they’re struggling with a particular skill, communicating this to a coach can help further their athletic abilities. It also helps with better communication issues they’re having at school or at home. 

Training for an individual sport often provides kids with one-on-one listening opportunities with coaches or teachers. When learning a new sport, children hear advice, ask questions, and develop a better understanding of the activity through these communication techniques.

At Fitness by the Sea, we offer many different team sports and individual sports that your child would love to participate in and make new friends. Interested in having your kid participate in our camps? Choose your location and register or learn more!