Throw a P.E. Party

Many of the same parents who hated gym class as kids are nostalgic now that schools have cut physical education from the curriculum. Okay, the public humiliation, mildewed locker rooms and angry coaches many of us grew up with were nothing to celebrate – but your child’s birthday is, and what better way than with a healthy blast from the past? There’s no need to spend the big bucks on a party package at your local kids’ gym; you can throw a P.E. party in your own backyard that’ll make fitness fun!

Of course, you’ll want to feature only the best and most fun aspects of gym class – no picking teams allowed. Set up an obstacle course in your backyard, and everyone can work out at their own pace. Want to do it boot camp style? Use a stopwatch and a megaphone to give everyone two minutes at each station. Try:

• using chalk or masking tape to set up a hopscotch court on your driveway
• making a jump rope station
• laying a towel on the grass for sit-ups
• setting aside a corner for jumping jacks
• establishing some wacky cool-off stations between cardio spots: hula hoping, toe-touching, balloon blowing, basketball dribbling, yo-yoing
• incorporating any equipment you already have, such as slides, basketball hoops, and jungle gyms

Kids can earn a ticket for each completed activity and turn them in for goody bags. Stuff sacks with tube socks (cheap, cheap, cheap when purchased in bulk!), jump ropes, boxes of raisins, granola bars, balls, paddle balls, yo-yos, whistles, wristbands, and sunscreen.