Keep Your Kids Active This Summer (and Chicago Bears Giveaway) #eatlikeabear

Summertime is here and kids are wrapping up their school years.  For many kids, the end of the school year is the end of physical education until fall.  Summertime is the perfect time to get your kids involved in some physical activities so that they don't end up spending those summer months on the couch and in front of the TV.  With childhood obesity running rampant through our country, its our responsibility as parents to get our kids moving.  Summer camps are making a huge comeback this year and summer sports camps should be at the top of every ones summer camp list.

The Chicago Bears Youth Football Camps are safe, non-contact instruction for kids ages 6-14 and are very suitable for any kid that just wants to learn the game.  They provide a station-based training format that allows campers to be divided by age and experience level so each receives the right level of instruction and support.  Kids will learn to run, throw, catch, defend, form block, form tackle and explode out of their stance with proper technique and improved speed.   The camps, which each run for 5 days from 9am to 3pm (that’s 30 hours active learning, instruction and fun!), do more than just introduce kids to sports, they make kids passionate about being healthy and help develop a lifelong love of fitness.  

Not only that but the camps also feature:

Chicago Bears Heroes

Professional Coaches

Athletic Development

Skill Challenges

Team Contests

Tournament Action

Championship Friday

Awards and Prices

The camps are designed to get kids more interested in physical fitness and they do this by disguising it as fun activities. “Kids do Bears Youth Football Camps because they are fun,” says Tom Finks, Executive Director of Chicago Bears Youth Football Camps.  “They don’t know that there is this big, underlying health initiative happening underneath all the fun-filled activities.”   From learning new skills and pushing beyond comfort zones to making healthier food choices and honing young leadership skills, the Chicago Bears Youth Camps provide a great opportunity for kids to develop a lifelong love of fitness.  

Tips for Parents from Chicago Bears Youth Football Camps:

Focus on New Achievements:  Kids love learning new skills and are always excited to succeed.  “At our camps, through fun skill challenges, fun competitions and fun games, kids exert themselves—often beyond their normal comfort level,” says Finks.  Finks suggests introducing your child to a new skill—making great catches, running faster, setting an obstacle record, etc., which will often get your child to push him or herself on their own.  “The fitness discovery is indirect,” adds Finks.  “They experience an increased work capacity or ability.  They see that they can move faster and longer than they ever imagined and for a longer period of time.  That experience raises their understanding of what their bodies can achieve.”

Talk about the Affects of Exercise:  Once kids begin exercising regularly, they will notice how different their body feels.  “They are relaxed, they sleep well, they are happy,” adds Finks.  “Their body may be tired, but it’s a ‘good tired’ and parents should openly talk about this.”  This is also a great time to begin talking about how the foods you put in your body affect how your body performs.  Off the field moments during camps include nutritional education games, interactive classroom activities such as “Eat Like a Bear” and lunch hours for kids and coaches.  There is even an interactive online game called “Eat Like a Pro”—which is a great tool for starting the parent/kid nutrition discussion   “Kids are now primed to consider what kinds of foods will help them perform better tomorrow than they did today,” says Finks.  “You want them to begin thinking about what foods provide them energy, repair muscles and help them feel great.” 

Provide Proper Motivation:  Just as all kids are different, all kids are motivated by different things.  Parents need to tap into the one or two things that will motivate their child to try his or her hardest and do their best.  “At camps, kids want to run hard for different reasons.  From making a great catch to winning a leadership award,” says Finks.  “Either way, that child is going to give it everything he has to achieve his own personal goal."

With locations ranging from Chicago to Rockford and everywhere in between, there is sure to be one near you.  To get registered or to check locations just click HERE.

I'm also excited to announce that I am doing a giveaway where one of my readers will win an awesome Chicago BearsYouth Football Camps prize which will include items such as small leather binder, Bears rally towel, water bottle, Play 60 drawstring bag, D.J. Moore fan face, Bears gloves and football cards.  This giveaway is open to US residents ONLY, all you have to do is leave me a comment below telling me how your kids stay active over the summer.  Don't forget your email address so I have a way to track you down if you win.  This giveaway will end at midnight on June 4th.  Good Luck!

***This post was compensated by Chicago Bears Youth Camps, all opinions are my own.