Make a list of activities appropriate for the number of people in your family. Talk about activities that will work for the number of people in your family. Some easily adjustable activities include volleyball, bike riding, basketball, relay races, jogging or running, dancing, yoga, hiking, and swimming. Have everyone make suggestions and make a list of the ones that can be adjusted (if necessary) for the number of people you have. Take at least one suggestion from each family member to avoid arguments and keep things fair.
Keep a 'free day' where people can do solo activities. A free day where each person can do their own thing (within reason) for recess helps keep things fair. This makes up for the fact that there may be some activities that not everyone in the family wants to do. This way, one child could shoot hoops while another jump ropes and you do your power yoga. Sometimes, even on free days, we may choose to do something together, such as take an extra hike along the trails. The free day should simply be used however everyone agrees on said day.
Alternatively, invest in a family gym membership. If you just cannot keep it together or get everyone to agree on things, consider joining the gym as a family. Many gyms now offer classes for all ages. This means your kids could be exercising by doing the latest hip-hop dance while you attend an advanced yoga class. Younger kids could be doing beginner yoga or tumbling or babies can attend parent and baby stretch or yoga classes. There are likely classes you could all take together as well.
LAST UPDATED: 8/24/2022
*I originally published a version of this via Yahoo Contributor Network
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Discuss favorites from your list. Now that you have a list, figure out what everyone's favorites are and narrow it down to a comfortable number for scheduling purposes. I find it helpful to take votes until the activities are narrowed down comfortably enough to not be overwhelming. If no one can agree via voting, stick a small folded note for each activity in a basket or jar and randomly draw them until you have enough. To make it fair, the basket or jar can be passed around so each person can draw something until enough activities have been fulfilled. Because we have a large family, I find drawing activities to be the most effective at keeping things equal for everyone.
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