50 FAMILY TIPS TO GET ACTIVE - DAY 5

Every day this week, Sport Wales has been on hand with top tips to encourage you to get active with your family…

London 2012 is just around the corner and while you might not fancy yourself as the next sporting great, there’s no better time to be inspired to get involved.

41.       Organise your own family Opening and Closing Ceremony dance routines - all that fancy footwork will burn off some energy and stop the kids getting bored in the school holidays.

42.       And talking of Opening and Closing Ceremonies, get younger children and their friends together to make flags and march around the garden or park. They can each adopt a nation.

43.       Make a big medal table and display it in the house. Update the results for everyone involved in your sporty challenges to keep everyone motivated

44.       Hula hoops are often overlooked. But they’re cheap, fun to use and there’s so much you can do with them. From seeing how long they can keep it going round their waist, to rolling and catching it before it falls, skipping with it, to throwing it. rab a hoop and join in!

45.       It’s important to showcase that sport is for all, no matter what challenges you face. Encourage your children to watch the Paralympics and they are sure to be inspired! For more information on opportunities for the disabled, contact the friendly folk at Disability Sport Wales.

46.        Haven’t got tickets for the Games? Then opt for sporting events in Wales like the Welsh Athletics International on July 18th at Cardiff International Sport Stadium.

47.       Wales has a strong history of producing first class sprinters like Christian Malcolm. So celebrate by inviting the neighbours over and running relay races.

48.       Dig out and dust off the rollerblades – they provide a great workout!

49.       For the first time ever, Wales is sending two boxers to the Olympics – try out boxercise in the garden. You’ll soon all be burning the calories!

50.   Or maybe you prefer to get your kicks out of judo? Find your nearest club here

And remember to look out for Come and Try sport sessions within your local authority or why not go along to your local sports club. For more information, just contact the sport of your choice!

Remember to check out our other blogs this week for all 50 tips!

50 FAMILY TIPS TO GET ACTIVE - DAY 4

Every day this week until Friday, Sport Wales will be on hand with top tips to encourage you to get active with your family…

London 2012 is just around the corner and while you might not fancy yourself as the next sporting great, there’s no better time to be inspired to get involved.

31.        Make like Andy Murray and organise a family tennis tournament. Remember to reward yourselves with some strawberries afterwards


32.       If you have family members with disabilities, there’s no reason why you can’t undertake activities together. There’s an increasing number of clubs offering inclusive opportunities – contact Disability Sport Wales for more information

33.       Croquets sets are often to be found on the supermarket shelves at this time of year. It’s perfect for a spot of garden fun

34.       Inspired by Usain Bolt, then set up a finishing line and get racing! Record times with a stopwatch to encourage the kids to beat their personal best

35.       Beach Volleyball is a relatively young Olympic sport, making its full debut in Atlanta 1996. Since then its popularity has rocketed and it looks to be a crowd favourite at London 2012. Get yourself a net and pack it in the car for beach trips!

36.       Wales’ rhythmic gymnast Frankie Jones is set to compete in Wembley Arena from 9 August. Encourage your family to watch and cheer her on. Make sure there are hula hoops and ribbons on standby – they’ll be revved up to have a go themselves

37.       Come London 2012, prepare to be dazzled by the athletes in the trampolining. Trampolines are a firm fixture many a garden these days. The family will be keen to show off their acrobatic excellence! To fin your nearest club, contact Welsh Gymnastics.

38.       Expose your children to a wide variety of sports this summer. Watching different sports – whether it’s hockey, sailing or badminton or something else – your children will be inspired by an activity. Capture their interest and get in touch with the sport’s governing body to find your nearest club!

39.       Why not set up a garden treasure hunt? Make a map and lead clues to the treasure. Or design an obstacle course – they could weave through buckets, limbo under a pole and leap over a sandpit. Give it a London 2012 theme and make medals the treasure

40.   A fun family activity for toddlers and younger school children is animal magic - see who can hop like a bunny, walk like a spider, stretch like a cat or run like a monkey.

And remember to look out for Come and Try sport sessions within your local authority or why not go along to your local sports club. For more information, just contact the sport of your choice!

50 FAMILY TIPS TO GET ACTIVE - DAY 2

50 DAYS TO GO BLOG – 50 WAYS TO GET INSPIRED BY LONDON 2012 AND GET ACTIVE

Every day this week until Friday, Sport Wales will be on hand with top tips to encourage you to get active with your family…

London 2012 is just around the corner and while you might not fancy yourself as the next sporting great, there’s no better time to be inspired to get involved.

11. Organise a beach trip or barbecue at the park and incorporate a trek into the trip

12.   Recreate old school sports days with sack races, three legged races and egg and spoon

13.   As we venture into days gone past, why not revive old sing-a-long skipping games like High, Low, Dolly, Pepper

14.   Grab yourself some chalk and sketch out hopscotch on the yard or your pavement  - and get hopping!

15.   Put Saturday 4 August in your diary now! Helen Jenkins is set to compete in the triathlon. Celebrate and cheer her on by staging a mini triathlon of swimming, a bike ride and a run. You can stage it over a weekend if it’s all too much for one day.

16.   Rounders is a great way to while away the hours and get the competitive juices flowing. You don’t need to be too strict with the rules either – just have fun!

17.   Take inspiration from Geraint Thomas, Mark Colbourne and Nicole Cooke. Get on your bike with the family in tow and set out to discover some stunning parts of the Welsh countryside.

18.   If you fancy going a little further afield you could negotiate Wales’ coastal paths and cycle trails and discover all that Wales has to offer – beautiful scenery, lakes, mountains and coastline make it a captivating place to tour.

19.   Make your sporting challenges fun and mix it up for variety – let your children come up with ideas too

20.   Praise and support – if they get the basic movement skills right at an early age, children are more likely to be physically active and to enjoy sport later in life

And remember to look out for Come and Try sport sessions within your local authority or why not go along to your local sports club. For more information, just contact the sport of your choice!

50 FAMILY TIPS TO GET ACTIVE - DAY 1

Already booked yourself in for a marathon TV viewing this summer as the Olympics and Paralympics descend on London? Well, don’t settle in on the sofa too quickly, Sport Wales are on hand with some top tips to encourage you to get active with your children…

London 2012 is just around the corner and while you might not fancy yourself as the next sporting great, there’s no better time to be inspired to get more active. So every day until Friday, we'll give you 10 new tips to get you and your family active....what are you waiting for?!

1.       Take inspiration from Jessica Ennis and set up your own garden decathlon. Mark out distances to jump, a line of bean bags to weave in and out of, balls to throw as far as you can

2.       Introduce games that involve a range of sporting skills such as running, jumping, dodging, throwing, catching and balancing

3.     Reward little ones for sporting triumphs by staging your own medal ceremony

4.       If children are enjoying watching a particular sport this summer, try incorporating it into a day out. You can always adapt the sport with play items if you can’t quite set up archery or fencing

5.       Invite the neighbours over and stage your own sports day. Sign up to http://www.london2012.com/get-involved/local-leaders/ for free tips and resources

6.       We already have eight swimmers from Wales selected for London 2012 which makes this summer the ideal time to learn to swim. Parents can reward swimming lessons by getting into the pool for a bit of playtime. Have a splash and blow bubbles in the water – it all helps your child to feel confident in the water

7.       Ask your local authority and your local sports clubs for activities happening this summer. If you are 16 and under, you can swim for free at your local authority swimming pool, thanks to the Welsh Government Free Swimming initiative

8.       Challenge little ones to do better – if they’ve jumped a certain distance or skipped a number of times, see if they can do better next time

9.       Parents need to be exercise role models – if your children see you being active, they’re more likely to take part

10.   Sunny days and ball games just seem to go together. They are play-anywhere activities and portable so they are ideal for most expeditions. Whether it’s a trip to the park, a jaunt to the seaside or a day out with the relatives, pack a bat and ball and involve everybody in a game or two. 

And remember to look out for Come and Try sport sessions within your local authority or why not go along to your local sports club. For more information, just contact the sport of your choice!