As a mum of children with ages ranging from 7 months to 18 years, it can often be difficult to find things to do or places to go that cater to everyone's needs. The teens tend to spend far too much time in their bedrooms gaming or binge-watching something on Netflix while I'm usually found out of breath chasing the baby around the lounge! Our time spent indoors has definitely increased since the pandemic and it's about time things changed. When Everyone Active reached out to collaborate for their Everyone is Family campaign it felt like perfect timing. Especially with my eldest duo both at home, bored post-exams for the summer, and myself wanting to shred a few pounds post-birth and return to some level of fitness.
We all felt spending a bit more time together being active would be beneficial, both physically and mentally.
The Everyone is Family campaign celebrates families in all forms and encourages them to maintain a healthy lifestyle during the summer break with free activity plans throughout August. The plans include indoor and outdoor sports, activities for the entire family and also a variety of recipes to try from celebrity chef Chris Baber.
There are Commonwealth inspired activities like athletics and swimming to try along with things that are a little more adventurous such as climbing in certain centres. There really is something for all and after a quick discussion we decided to pick badminton, which is a favourite of mine, table tennis for some competitive fun and soft play, mainly for the youngest one to enjoy. It's great having so many things to do under one roof. We also selected 2 at home activities of bucket catch and balloon keepy ups along with a tasty Instant Fro Yo recipe to make. Perfect to cool down with after being active, especially with the heatwaves we've been having.
Everyone Active manages over 200 sports and leisure facilities across the country in partnership
with over 60 local authorities - our local centre being in Daventry. The leisure centres provide a community hub for local people and families and it was lovely to see such a variety of ages enjoying the facilities. When we arrived for our first session of badminton the staff were friendly and helpful, showing us to the hall where our court was located, and ensuring we had the equipment required to begin. We certainly felt welcome and there was a very relaxed atmosphere - I didn't feel out of place being a bit overweight at the moment and out of practise. There were people present of various abilities and I felt at ease.
We had the court for a couple of hours so by the end of our session we were all exhausted but it was actually really good and the adrenaline rush was quite unexpected. Instead of feeling like I had no place there and wouldn't be eager to return I felt exhilarated and keen to try our next activity the following day.
Our next booking was table tennis and we had an end table which was cordoned off by a large green curtain. It felt quite private but also prevented the ping pong balls from going everywhere and disturbing other people! We took it in turns to play each other and again it was a lot of fun. All of the equipment was clean and in good condition. It reminded of us of our evenings abroad on the terrace playing there.
Our final indoor activity at the leisure centre was soft play. It's a great way for the kids to run about and burn off some energy, or in my case get worn out exploring the ball pond, slides and ramps with the baby! The soft play at the Daventry centre is quite small in comparison to some we have been to in the past but this actually makes it perfect for younger children/toddlers in particular as you can easily keep an eye on them if you didn't want to play as well.
Our little one really enjoyed playing in the area with his Dad and I. It was in fact his first time ever going on a slide which he loved.
Lastly, I followed one of the healthy recipes from Chris Baber. I do happen to eat quite a lot of ice cream throughout the summer (I do love a caramel core) so this was a tasty but far lower calorie option which turned out to be really delicious.
Instant Fro Yo
Ingredients:
2 Small Handfuls frozen berries of choice
6 tbsp Greek yoghurt
1 tbsp Honey
Method:
Put the berries and yoghurt into a food processor with a squeeze of honey.
Wizz up until smooth
Eat straight away or make a larger batch and store in the freezer
I doubled up on the ingredients and left out the honey to make it baby friendly. It was nice and refreshing and so quick to create. I've since made this recipe a few times with different fruits and popped some tubs away in the freezer.
We thoroughly enjoyed our week with Everyone Active and I feel as though it definitely made us closer as a family. By signing up to the Everyone is Family activity plans at the moment there's also a chance to win a bundle of fantastic prizes worth over £600 which is another lovely incentive.
You can find more information and sign up here:
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