One easy yet effective proposal to help teach healthy lifestyles to our kids is to simply provide fun ways for them to be active. Our national parks are perfect ways to do this. Over President's Day Weekend I went to Zion National Park and was impressed by the opportunities that such parks provide. I've visited my share of national parks and I must say that all of them have done an absolutely amazing job in creating unique experiences for people of all ability levels. By no means did I do anything extremely intense while I was at Zions. However, the reward of seeing breathtaking views and scenery as well as the feeling of accomplishment that comes from completing a hike are memories that will continue with me throughout my life. I am persuaded that developing in our children a love for getting out and doing things is a major way to help them develop a healthy lifestyle.
One example I want to share is a little kid I met named Skyler. He is such a stud. The kid is only 3 years old and we met him while hiking up to one of the waterfalls. His parents had him on a harness (appropriate due to the type of terrain) and this kid was having a blast hiking the trail. I normally would think that a 3 year old is too young for something like that, but Skyler was all smiles and laughs climbing up rocks, jumping in the mud, and splashing in the water. I have no doubt that if his parents continue to take him on excursions like these, he will have an ingrained love for an active lifestyle. So kudos to Skyler's parents for opening my eyes to the wonderful opportunities made available for everyone at our national parks.
Check out nps.gov for more information about our national parks. Also check out this map to see just how close (literally only a few hours) we are here in Provo to so many parks. A great Saturday trip, enjoy!
Great post! I wish I had seen more of California's nature sites before coming to college, and I definitely want to see my share of Utah parks before I graduate. There's so much to explore!
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