Run, Run, as Fast as You Can: Beautiful Weather Ahead
During the summer, it’s relatively easy to get outside with your kiddos and your pets. The nice weather and long days make trips to the dog park or day trips to the beach do-able.
However, once school starts, your dog might not get the same amount of attention. New autumn routines can interfere with the time you have to spend with each other.
Why not make the most of your backyard evenings?
While you may not have time to dash off for an afternoon, there are several active games that you and your children can play that can also involve your pets. The more you run, the more exercise your dogs will get, too—and the happier they will feel.
Tag. You’re It!
Share the love with a rousing game of tag. In this back-yard classic, the most important element is to run faster than the person being ‘it.’ If you’re tagged, you become the new ‘it.’
The fun thing about tag is that there are so many variations of it, and they’re all easy to play. In freeze tag, the person who’s been tagged has to freeze until someone who hasn’t been tagged comes to free them.
This is similar to the old-fashioned game of Kick the Can. In this version of tag, everyone who is tagged goes into a holding pen, while ‘it’ tries to catch the rest of the players.
This game also involves a can hear the holding pen. If an untagged player gets close enough to kick the can, all the tagged players are set free again.
Kick the Can could be made easier or more difficult depending on the size of can you use.
Many people use empty food cans, but you could also use small tea tins. To make it easier for toddlers and small children, a larger size can, such as the rustic galvanized metal milk jug by Stone and Beam might work well.
Sharks and Minnows
This game is similar to tag, except there’s more than one ‘it.’ In this game, two to four people are designated as sharks. They stand in the center of the yard or large room, while all the other players stand at the side as minnows.
When the game starts, the sharks chant “Fishie, fishie, come swim in my sea,” and the players reply “Sharkie, sharkie, you can’t catch me.” Then all the players run, and the sharks try to tag the minnows. If a minnow is tagged, that minnow becomes another shark.
The game continues until except one or two minnows have been turned into sharks. The winners become the first sharks for the next round of the game.
Doggie Relay
If you don’t have a large number of people to play tag or sharks and minnows with, one of the best games you can play with your pet is the Doggie Relay. This game is a basic relay race, with a course laid around the outside of your yard or the park you play in.
Players stand at their designated spots, ready to take the baton and run for their turn.
However, instead of a baton, you pass your pet on a solid leash like the Dexter collar and leash set by Melior Pets. It’s fast, it’s fun, and your dog will love it as much as your children do.
