Subway wants to make it fun for your kids to get outside and play this summer. Nearly 1 out of 3 children in the United States ages 2 to 19 is overweight or at risk of becoming overweight, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Extra pounds can lead to lifelong health problems, such as type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart disease. In adults, overweight and obesity contribute to these and other chronic conditions, including certain cancers. The National Institute of Health’s We Can! program (Ways to Enhance Children’s Activity and Nutrition) focuses on reducing childhood obesity by stressing three important behaviors – improving food choices, increasing physical activity, and reducing screen time.
Subway has recently partnered with the National Institute of Health – and their We Can!™ program – to help encourage kids to ‘push away’ the screen. They’ve put together P. E. P. (Play more, Eat right, Push away the screen) Rally Kits, which are basically starter activity kits with different activities, toys and games for kids and parents to play with together outside.
Subway sent us a kit which included a $10.00 Subway gift card, a football, a jump rope, a bottle of bubbles, some sidewalk chalk, a big bouncy ball, a bag of wildflower seeds, a frisbee catch game, and a huge container of water balloons!
Naturally, my three year old would like to plant the flower seeds, but since we don’t have a garden, she got out a plastic sandbox shovel and has been pretending to dig holes for flowers in the living room carpet. Guess I need to start a garden next year, huh?
I’m just waiting for the next time my boys have a gaggle of their friends over so I can break out the water balloons, too.
WIN IT: To encourage Table for Five readers to get their kids outside more, Subway has generously donated a P.E.P. Rally kit for me to give away. The kit will include a $10.00 Subway gift card and outside play items like sidewalk chalk, a jump rope, a “nerf” football, a frisbee, and more.
MAIN METHOD OF ENTRY: Leave a comment on this post telling me one way you are encouraging your kids to spend more time outside this summer. WARNING-if your comment just says “thanks” or “I’d like to win this” or something similar, I’m just going to DELETE IT. Spam is not appreciated!
BONUS ENTRIES: I’ll give you one additional entry for each of the following that you do or have done, leave a separate comment for each.
- Follow me on Twitter, link is in the top right of the header. Tweet this:Â Win a Subway P.E.P. rally kit from @Table4Five, Subway gift card plus outdoor play items, enter by 7/29Â http://bit.ly/HZ12u
- Subscribe to my RSS feed in a reader or by email, links in top right, let me know in your comment
- Friend me on Facebook or FriendFeed, leave your username in your comment
- Mention this giveaway in a blog post or contest round-up, leave the URL in your comment
Thanks for entering and good luck everybody!
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I’m not entering; my children are grown and physically active and fit, fortunately. I just wanted to leave a comment to say good for you, Elizabeth, for encouraging and promoting this healthy program. It’s alarming to see ever increasing numbers of children who are obese and staying indoors during the summer, sedentary in front of various screens. Thanks for calling attention to the problem and being part of the solution.
Twitter: Table4Five
says:
Vicki-thank you so much for your supportive comment! I was more than happy to help Subway with this campaign, especially because in my family, everyone but the 3 year old is already video game and computer-obsessed. I need all the help I can get to get my kids outside, even for an hour a day.
p.s. Ready to move to self-hosted WordPress yet?
Twitter: Smittens05
says:
It’s hard because we live in a condo – so no yard to play in! Now that the weather is FINALLY getting nicer we hit the parks as often as possible, and our town has a splash park for the really warm days.
I ENCOURAGE MY DAUGHTER TO PLAY OUTSIDE MORE IN THE SUMMER BY TAKING HER EVERYWHERE.
SO FAR – (BESIDES THE PARK AND YARD) WE BEEN TO THE AQUARIUM, BEACH, A FARM, & ZOO MULTIPLE TIMES
As much as I hate swimming; I know that my kids love it. So, without any real effort to get them to play outside more this summer, we have been going to the pool about three times a week. We also sit outside and drink lemonade and spend “quality” time as a family too…trying not to keep the TV on all day.
Thanks for the awesome chance to win some cool gear!!!!
Happy Summer,
barbarabaker
I’m also an email subscriber and love your updates, thank you!!!!
-barbarabaker
I’m already following you on twitter so I went ahead and tweeted the giveaway too
here’s my status tweet:
http://twitter.com/barbarabaker/status/2654381118
-barbarabaker
My husband and I got our son involved in metal detecting so we can get him outside a good amount of time during the nice weather. thanks for the chance.
I’m a subscriber.
Twitter: momof2dancers
says:
Limit tv time, make the kids go outside. I really have no issues getting my kids to go out side & be active. Well my 8 year old dd sometimes. I usually recommend things like bike ride, roller blade, ride scooter, etc.
We also try to go to the beach & park a lot.
Twitter: momof2dancers
says:
I’m subscribed in bloglines
Twitter: momof2dancers
says:
following & tweeted ~ http://twitter.com/momof2dancers/status/2656046387
I’m a homeschooling mom so we spend half the day doing school work and then we have the other half of the day to ride bikes, play in the backyard swing set, or go to the pool. My kids are 4 & 6 and it doesn’t take much convincing for them to want to go outside. They’re not yet old enough to be into video games, and I hope it stays that way!
mfalcon13@hotmail.com
It doesn’t take much effort on my part to get my kids to get out of the house and play. They love being outdoors to play tag, ride their bikes and scooters, play soccer, etc.
Heh, we just open up the patio door, get the kids dressed (i.e. out of pajamas), and they go nuts. They’re like little plants and will spend 8 hours outside if/when we let them. Lately with it getting pretty warm we’ve been letting them turn on a weird little water thing Grandma got ‘em so they’re out there splashing around and watering the lawn for us to boot.
Of course, having “picnics” outside are always a hit, which is pretty cute. Whether it’s in the backyard or in the forest where we pick huckleberries and cut down firewood. I’m sure their outdoorsy-ness is helped by the fact that hubby and I and FIL like camping (which is on tap this weekend for the 5yo and 3yo with Grampa) and we live in a very outdoors-centered part of the country.
Oh, and the 1200sf garden we’ve got out back… they’re out there hunting for ripe stuff on and off… I can’t tell you how many times a kiddo has pilfered strawberries or raspberries or picked tomatoes for me, it’s pretty cute.
We are swimming in our pool to keep the girls outdoors this summer
jceko77@yahoo.com
subscriber
jceko77@yahoo.com
Twitter: staceymoore
says:
we keep our kids active by keeping them involved in organized sports!
thanks!
moore.g@Insideconnect.net
Twitter: staceymoore
says:
our tweet: http://twitter.com/staceymoore/status/2660048523
thanks!
moore.g@Insideconnect.net
Twitter: staceymoore
says:
subscriber!
thanks!
moore.g@Insideconnect.net
To encourage my kids to play outside more this summer, we’ve fixed up a nice new sandbox for them. They LOVE playing in that sandbox! My inlaws, who happen to live next door to us, also installed a swingset for the kiddos, and put them in charge of watering their garden… So, we spend lots of time outside!
While shopping at Target, Christmas Tree Shop or the Dollar Store, I picked up inexpensive items that the boys would have fun with and about every week and one half, I bust one out so they can play with it outside.
nhmummab@comcast.net
email subscriber
nhmummab@comcast.net
I’ve struggled with this issue this summer, like never before. All of a sudden, both of my kids would rather play indoors than go outside much. My son, bless his little heart, has developed a sudden fear of Big Foot, and nothing we can say (that we live in Nebraska of al places, or that Big Foot is really nice) will convince him to stay outside long. My daughter is extremelly bothered by bugs this year, unlike any year before. That said, if we find something really fun to do, both of the kids will step outside their comfort zone and play outside with me. I’ve been thinking of creative fun things to entice them to get outside, like water balloon fights, catching fireflies, and playing fetch with the dogs. It’s starting to work, but it’s a slow process. A fun gift pack like this would definitely help.
I tweeted. @andreamcmann.
I’m also subscribed via google reader.
We’re already Facebook friends.
facebook.com/andrea.mcmann
We try to take regular family walks and we’ve been going to the local beach / playground about once a week.
mommablogsalot (at) gmail (dot) com
I’m following you on twitter and I tweeted:
http://twitter.com/mommablogsalot/status/2672652129
mommablogsalot (at) gmail (dot) com
I subscribed to your RSS feed.
mommablogsalot (at) gmail (dot) com
It doesn’t take much effort on my part to get my kids to get out of the house and play.
We have a park right on the next block and we spend a lot of time there. The kids have a great time and I can sit and relax. Thank you!
I follow on Twitter and tweeted
http://twitter.com/kewpiedoll04/status/2679297420
I’m a subscriber.
I sent a Facebook friend request
Judy Brittle
Twitter: intrigue1
says:
I bought a bike so all of us can go bikeriding and sometimes they rollerblade while I bikeride. We also started swimming at our community pool and we bought tennis rackets so they can practice at the outdoor tennis courts in town.
Twitter: intrigue1
says:
I subscribe by email.
Twitter: simplyandreah
says:
We bought them new bikes so that they would want to be outside riding and getting exercise.
Twitter: simplyandreah
says:
I am a subscriber.
Twitter: simplyandreah
says:
Tweeted!
http://twitter.com/simplyandreah/status/2695613039
This summer I got a summer membership to our city waterpark. The kids love spending 2 hours a day in the sun with family and they exercise with all the swimming they do! Thats our outdoor fun!
Carla
cpullum(at)yahoo(dot)com
To encourage my kids to play outside more this summer, we’ve fixed up a nice new sandbox for them.
it’s so nice and healthy to play outside but parents should look after their children cause nowadays are so many dangers …
My son is n swimming classes and summer camp to ensure that he gets some outside time evryday. We also meet our playgroup at the park once a week and they run around for hours!
I am a happy subscriber-thanks!
I signed my older kids up for swimming lessons at the public outdoor pool and a few art classes and nature walks. The younger child and I go to the park also and watch the lesson and play and picnic while the older kids do their activities. Then we finish the afternoon at the library.
Email subscriber
Twitter: dwalline
says:
We live in an apartment with only a shared community yard and my bf’s DD is very shy so it’s super hard to get her outside to play. We go to the parks along the canal or over to grandmas house a lot. We taught her croquet this summer and she is getting pretty good.
Twitter: dwalline
says:
http://twitter.com/dwalline/statuses/2725257974
Twitter: dwalline
says:
I subscribed via email
Twitter: misaacmom
says:
my kids actually like to play outside so we really do not have any problems here. We have a fenced in yard and community pool a few houses down so my kids spend quite a bit outside.
Twitter: misaacmom
says:
http://twitter.com/misaacmom/status/2729200950
Twitter: misaacmom
says:
rss subscriber
Twitter: kdolphins7
says:
We are busy working on our garden, the kids are having a great time, and love to go outside to check on our crop!
We try to go to the pool everyday! What a great workout!
We love to go camping, hiking, nature walks, swimming, working in the garden, and just about anything else that can be done outdoors!
Thanks for the chance to win!
I subscribe!
I always am outside with the children swimming,bike riding,playing basketball or going to the beach. We are not ones for watching tv.
tamben7996(at)aol(dot)com
I am a subscriber.
tamben7996(at)aol(dot)com
I am a friend on Facebook (Tamara Bennington)
tamben7996(at)aol(dot)com
Twitter: amweeks
says:
I don’t have to give my children much encouragement at all to play outside! They are both on swim team, with my daughter practicing every day & my son 3 times a week. We have a pool here at home that they are in constantly, and when they’re not they are usually out playing with the neighborhood kids or other friends who come over!
Twitter: amweeks
says:
I follow on twitter & tweeted! http://twitter.com/amweeks/status/2823333243
Twitter: amweeks
says:
I subscribe!
Twitter: pricousins
says:
My kids are pretty active anyway. They go outside every day but one thing I did was sign up my son for Football. He’s going to start that on August 1st and we’re all looking forward to it!
Twitter: pricousins
says:
I tweeted! http://twitter.com/pricousins/status/2845332874
Twitter: pricousins
says:
I subscribe to this blog via email.
Twitter: pricousins
says:
I’m your friend on Facebook Too – Angie Marion
Living in the Phoenix Valley in AZ lately its been 117 degrees. Not even safe to go swimming in the day with AZ leading 1400 people a year with skin cancer. I do however at 5:30pm – 6pm open the shades and tell the kids its time to water the plants; which is their “Q” to go out to play. They love to be free to ask to play with the neighborhood kids and ride their bikes or run around with their Star War Lasers!
My kids love to hang out in their tree house. It’s really just three little levels of platforms up in the trees, but to them it’s their palace, getaway from the adults. Through the years it’s been many different things, including a pirate ship, hotel and a stage. (they took their music out there and practiced)
This year they ‘pimped it out’ after raiding the garage. The tree house now sports a chandelier, and an oriental style rug, all were destined for the dump.
It’s fun to see them out there playing and talking with each other. I think it’s something they will always associate with summer, hanging out in the tree house with their siblings and friends.