When you tell a child to eat something because it’s good for them you’re probably going to be faced with a tongue being stuck out at you or a grimace in protest. Kids aren’t interested in being healthy; they’re interested in participating in fun activities and in eating delicious foods. With the rising childhood obesity rates though it’s becoming more important than ever to find a way to make being healthy the cool thing to do, not something reserved for nutrition nuts and exercise fanatics. So how do you teach your kids that being healthy can be fun?

1. Exercise as a family

Take bike rides together, go on evening walks, or take weekend trips to the pool. Your children probably aren’t interested in running on a treadmill or hitting up the gym, but when the whole family is involved and it doesn’t feel like a chore, exercise can end up being a lot of fun! They’re also more likely to participate if the whole family is participating, and it’s a good time for everyone to bond.

2. Keep healthy snacks on hand

Your kids can’t eat unhealthy snacks if they aren’t available and no one is forcing you to buy chips and cookies. Instead when they want a snack give them string cheese or an apple and keep a bowl of grapes in the fridge and whole grain snacks in the pantry. The earlier they associate snacks with healthy food items the more likely they’ll be to continue to pick these.

3. Make fruits and veggies fun

An apple or baby carrots are great, but they’re even better when paired with peanut butter, and who can really turn down ants on a log? If the kids are craving a dessert then why not try freezing different fruits like grapes, pineapple, or watermelon? Eating healthy doesn’t have to be gross or boring.

4. Transform video games

Video games don’t have to be a bad thing (though time in front of the television should definitely be limited!!). Try playing any of the new line of “active” video games from Wii or PlayStation – everyone can join in on the fun and you’ll break a sweat jumping around the living room together.

5. Try out different sports

Expose your kids to a variety of different sports to find out which ones click with your kids. If they hate soccer, try swimming, and if basketball isn’t cutting it, then maybe gymnastics will. There are so many different sports to try that there really is something for everything. Getting involved in a team atmosphere will help them learn that being active with friends is fun, and it will teach them the value of teamwork early on in life.

Staying fit is a lifelong challenge, and the earlier kids learn to embrace it the more likely they are to carry the same values with them throughout their lives. Making being fit and healthy fun is the key to success!

Sara is an active nanny as well as an active freelance writer. She is a frequent contributor of nanny agency.  Learn more about her here.