• Age Appropriate — Kids as young as 2 and 3 can join in all forms of recreation and babies can be toted in a backpack. Just remember to go for versions of your favorite activities that your kids can enjoy. If you’re a distance swimmer, think kiddie pool when the family is along. If an activity is too advanced, the risks of boredom, irritability and injury are greater.

• Scalable — Look for activities that are enjoyable for those starting out, with room to grow more advanced — sports, music and art come to mind. We’re happy to complete short, easy hikes right now — while the kids take three steps to our one — knowing that someday, when everyone’s older and more experienced, we’ll still have lots of challenging terrain to cover.

• Repeatable — Some activities are events: trips to the circus, getaways to Disney, even a local amusement park. Hobbies aren’t like that. They’re activities you can fit into your schedule as often as once a week. By choosing something you can do regularly, throughout the year, it has the potential to become part of your family’s identity.

• Affordable — Hobbies range in price and there are family activities that fit the range of family budgets. Though the gear available for serious hikers can run into serious money, getting started required little more than some boots (we got ours on sale for around $35), a map and some water bottles. Most of what we take on the trail we already had lying around the house. Whatever activity you decide on, be sure it’s not beyond your means to keep doing it. Although we plan to add skiing to our lives when the kids are older, we know we’ll need to increase the activities budget to do so.

• Make it fun — Encouraging a four year old to keep going to the end of a 2-mile hike can be a chore. But when he knows there’s a root beer float waiting for him at the end of the trail he’s more likely to embrace the challenge. And when his little legs get tired and he starts begging for someone to carry him, we often divert his attention by singing songs or practicing his letters (“What does apple start with?”, “How about baseball?”, etc.”)
  
  When the kids get older and a root beer float and the alphabet song no longer motivate, the promise of a parent-sponsored outing — doing something they’ve grown to love — may be enough to keep the otherwise disengaged teens involved in family life.

It’s turns out it is possible to learn something new and actually enjoy it. Doing it for the benefit of your kids, both now and in the future, is great motivation.

— Candice Z. Watters