Getting active as a family isn’t always easy. Between busy schedules, age differences, and varied interests, finding an activity that pleases everyone can seem like an impossible mission. However, sharing active moments strengthens bonds, improves everyone’s health, and most importantlyโฆ creates lasting memories.
The key often lies in how you approach physical activity: when the activity becomes a game, an adventure, or a simple moment of fun, motivation comes naturally. Here are 7 simple, realistic, and fun ideas for getting active as a family โ for the youngest, teens, and parents alike!
1. Turn Sports into a Game
Kids love to play, teens love challenges, and parents appreciate shared moments. Why not combine it all?
- Organize family challenges: who can do the most jump ropes? Who can hold a plank position the longest?
- Create home obstacle courses in the yard or living room with cushions, chairs, and tape on the floor. And to add some spice, use a stopwatch!
The idea isn’t to “win,” but to have fun while moving. Even a few minutes a day are enough to build good habits.
2. Discover Dynamic Indoor Activities
When it rains or gets cold, the natural inclination is often to settle in front of a screen. However, several options allow you to get active indoors without getting bored.
Family activity centers like O-Volt, for example, offer trampoline zones, agility courses, and group activities suitable for all ages.
It’s an ideal way to burn energy, improve coordination, and laugh together.
And unlike a simple workout, these activities are designed to get you moving without even realizing it โ the secret ingredient to motivate everyone!
And even on a beautiful sunny day, taking some time indoors can transform the day’s atmosphere. A break to move, laugh, or simply reconnect together re-energizes and strengthens family bonding.
3. Plan ‘active’ weekend outings
Going on a photo safari (with a stopwatch, of course) is a great way to turn any activity โ indoors or outdoors โ into an exciting adventure.
During a gentle hike, a forest walk, or a bike ride, turn the outing into a visual treasure hunt: “capture a red leaf, a bird in flight, a funny shadow.” The mission can easily continue at an indoor center like O-Volt: photograph the highest jump, the biggest smile, or the most spectacular challenge!
Add a stopwatch to boost the competitive spirit of kids and teens, then gather all the photos at home for a mini family contest or a slideshow evening full of laughter.
These small challenges spark curiosity, develop observational skills, and make every activity more engaging. Whether on a trampoline or a trail, movement then becomes an excuse to explore, laugh, and create memories together โ both outdoors and indoors.
4. Choose an Activity Everyone Loves
The common mistake? Imposing an activity that only one family member enjoys. For it to last, everyone needs to find something they enjoy.
Try several options: dance, climbing, skating, yoga, trampoline, or even intergenerational team sports like badminton or pickleball.
The secret is to vary the fun and let each member suggest an idea in turn.
When children feel they are part of the decision-making, their motivation skyrockets!
5. Create Active Rituals at Home
No need to plan an outing every time! A few minutes a day can be enough to create an active family routine.
For example:
- A free dance to the current favorite song before dinner;
- Ten minutes of stretching or yoga together in the morning;
- A walk after dinner, without phones.
These small moments establish a culture of movement at home. And most importantly, they remind us that moving is primarily a matter of habitโฆ and shared enjoyment.
6. Team Up Rather Than Compete
Teens, in particular, can get demotivated if they feel they “have to keep up” with parents or are compared to younger kids.
It’s better to play the collaboration card: create collective challenges (“all together, 100 jumps in 5 minutes”) or relay courses. This develops team spirit and values everyone’s contribution.
The goal? For each member to feel useful and valued in the activity, without pressure or judgment.
And if you add a touch of humor (like a funny dare for whoever laughs first), fun is guaranteed!
7. Focus on Fun Over Performance
Too often, physical activity is associated with effort or performance.
In a family setting, it should instead be synonymous with lightness and fun.
Instead of a “workout,” think of an “electrifying outing.”
Instead of a “goal,” think of a “moment together.”
Fun is a much more powerful motivator than discipline: if children associate movement with joy, they will naturally want to do it again.
And for parents, it’s a great way to relearn how to move without guilt, simply to feel good.
Why It’s so Important to get Active Together
Getting active as a family is much more than just physical activity. It’s a way to strengthen bonds, build confidence, and create memories.
Studies show: children whose parents are regularly active are more likely to maintain healthy habits into adulthood.
And for adults? Being active with children is a dose of energy, laughter, and… an excellent antidote to stress. No matter the age, movement brings people together.
To learn more, consult the
ParticipACTION Guide on Active Family Activities
and the
official Quรฉbec.ca tips on family physical activity
.
These resources are full of concrete and accessible ideas to maintain the joy of being active at any age.
Whether it’s a jump on a trampoline, a walk in the forest, or a game in the living room, every active moment counts.
Bonus Tip: Find your “O-Volt Moment”
When you’re out of ideas, when the weather isn’t cooperating, or when you lack space at home, activity centers like O-Volt become an ideal solution.
Kids have fun, teens expend energy, and parents join them or take the opportunity to relax while watching them smile.
And most importantly, everyone leaves with the same feeling: that they’ve spent real quality time together. (See all O-Volt activities)
A Way to Feel Good
Getting active as a family isn’t a constraint: it’s a lifestyle choice, a way to feel good, to laugh, to share, and to pass on beautiful values.
No need for performance or sophisticated equipment: just a little imagination and good humor.
So, this week, why not start with a small activity for four, a jump, a run, or an impromptu dance?
The hardest part is starting. The rest is pure funโฆ on repeat.
