With temperatures soaring into the 90s and above, sometimes the favorite place to be during the summer is inside on the couch with the AC on high and thumbs going furiously on the latest app game. We want to encourage parents to make sure, however, that their children have plenty of opportunities to stay active during the summer months.

A sedentary lifestyle can be an easy habit to slip into, but our growing young people need regular physical activity for healthy growth – for that matter, so do we all, but that’s another story.

There are plenty of chances for children to stretch their muscles and focus on fitness this summer. Athletic young people might choose a youth sports camp – plenty of options are available through Franklin County’s school systems and municipalities Parks and Recreation Departments. If organized sports aren’t your child’s “thing,” you can also just head to a public facility for some solo hoops, kickball, tennis or other activities.

Even children who don’t enjoy traditional sports, however, can still find ways to avoid the couch potato life. From favorite like hide ‘n’ seek and freeze tag, to pastimes like swimming and hiking, not to mention Frisbee, bike riding or family fun, there are so many choices for avoiding summertime slothfulness.

Children need their parents encouragement to avoid spending the next month and half on the couch, so be sure to prod them to lay the phones aside, lace up their tennis shoes and add a little physical activity to their summer days.