Kids Outdoor Activities & Safety Due to Heat

Children of all ages should be outside playing and enjoying the weather. Outside activities can promote exercise, get kids away from video games and toys, and help them get vitamin D from the sun, which aids in calcium absorption for stronger, healthier bones. Outdoor games do come with the risk of over-heating, which can be life-threatening. You can produce a variety of fun, outdoor activities while keeping children safe from heat-related illness.

Sun Safety

• Your body's temperature-control system can overheat if the body can't adequately release heat and cool itself by sweating. This can cause dehydration, heat stroke and heat exhaustion. Plan your outdoor activities for the early morning or evening to avoid the hottest temperatures in the day. Make sure the children are wearing loose-fitting and light-colored clothing. A hat is highly recommended. Make the children rest frequently so they can recover and rehydrate.

  You need to pay attention to any children who begin to get sick or queasy from the heat. You may need to have the child lie down in a cool, shady spot and give them something to drink. You should seek medical assistance if this does not help.

Capture the Flag

• Capture the Flag is a terrific outdoor activity for a big group of children. Keep the game slow-paced to allow children to recover and not overexert themselves when out in the sun. Each team controls a side of the playing field and plants a flag somewhere within. A neutral line divides the middle of the field. Crossing this line puts you in your opponent's territory. The goal is to go into the opponent's territory and grab their flag back to your side. You must go to your opponent's "jail" if you are tagged by an opponent in their territory along with you losing the flag. You can be freed if a teammate makes it to the opponent's jail and tags you. The game is won when one side gets the flag back to their own territory.

Kickball

• Kickball is an outdoor activity that allows children to have fun without constantly running around. They can easily rest and rehydrate between innings. This activity is best with nine players per team: one pitcher, one catcher, three players to protect each base, three outfielders and one shortstop. Kickball is similar to baseball in that the field is a diamond with a foul territory. Your team scores a run when a player touches all four bases in order without getting out. The team with the highest score at the end of a game wins.

  Kickball lasts six innings with three outs per inning. All you need for a game of kickball is a rubber ball the size of a soccer ball. Bases can be any item such as stones or shoes. The pitcher rolls the ball to the "batter," who then kicks the ball. Play proceeds similarly to baseball.

Hide and Seek

• Hide and Seek is a game that is safe for children in the heat since the children are hiding rather than doing a lot of moving around. This game requires no equipment other than the environment the children are in. The game starts with one person seeking. The child turns around and counts with their eyes closed at the "base" while the rest of the children hide. The seeker says "Ready or not, here I come" after counting and rushes to find everyone. The children who are hiding should try to get to the "base" without getting tagged or else they are "It."