Spring is just around the corner. I don't know what the weather is like where you live, but outside my window, the snow is finally starting to melt, and the birds are starting to fly back to their summer homes. When this time of year arrives, I always get a bit of spring fever. It feels so great to be outside and not bundled up under layers and layers of winter clothing.

While I get about the same amount of dedicated exercise in warm weather as I do in the winter, I get a lot more joy out of warm weather workouts. Fitness DVDs are a great standby during the snowy season, but there's something invigorating about being outside when exercising. So, while enjoying my walk around the neighborhood, it made me wonder if your fitness habits change with the warm weather.


Now that the weather is getting warmer, what is your favorite outdoor activity?

Barack and Michelle Obama have been a bit busy lately, what with 10 inaugural balls and his being sworn in as President of the United States and everything. (And I think I'm busy ... ha!) The Obama's girls have been busy in their own right.

Recently, they had friends from their new school visit them at the White House. After watching movies, the girls participated in a scavenger hunt through the presidential halls (how cool is that?). The hunt was designed to help the girls become familiar with the White House and to feel more comfortable there. The final surprise of the hunt led them to the Jonas Brothers hiding behind a door. I think I could hear the pre-teen squeals from four states away. But what I'm really wondering is if the Jonas Brothers got a chance to bowl?

While your kids don't have anything as palatial as the White House to get used to and you can't rustle up a pop star as a final surprise, you can still set up a scavenger hunt in your own house for your kids. If, like me, you live in an area that's been suffering super-cold temps, you have to get a little creative to keep your kids active indoors. A scavenger hunt is a fun idea -- your kids might also enjoy a relay race throughout the house.

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For general health, any cardio workout that gets you moving and sweating is great. But when you want to lose weight in a hurry go for maximum burn.

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Has Olympic fever hit your household? If your kids are broad-jumping the family room or breast-stroking in their bathtubs, perhaps a more organized kid Olympics is in order.

Parent Center has compiled a list of three kid activities that will help you put together your own Kid Olympics.

1. Obstacle Course -- Set this one up outdoors for fresh air and exercise. Aside from things to run around and through, add an element of skill with a golf or croquet aiming station.
2. Balance Beams -- Start your toddlers off with phone book balance beams, then get narrower as your kids get older. Remind them that practice is the key in this event, and teach them balancing tricks, like holding out their arms.
3. Broad Jump -- All you need are ropes and a motivated kid, and you've got yourself an Olympic sport.

The best part about these Olympic-inspired activities? They get your kids off the couch and moving. Yet another way to convince them that fitness is fun!

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Summer is quickly drawing to a close, so why not take advantage of these last days before the school year starts and spend some fun, active time with your kids?

My son has been going to a great day camp this summer. He loves it, he gets tons of physical activity, and he's always filled with stories about the fun things he did. It's a great program. But, in some ways, the schedule keeps it from really feeling like summer at our house. So last week my son stayed home from camp. I still had to work, but I made sure we did at least one special, fun thing a day. We walked to the park and went fishing, visited the BMX track, stopped at the skate park, used a rock climbing wall, and went to the community center's pool. Even though we're nearing the end of the season, last week felt more like "summer" to me than any of the weeks before. I really enjoyed the special times with my son ... and I think he had a great time, too.

Summer fun doesn't necessarily mean time-consuming, expensive outings either. Check out the gallery to see some fun ideas of easy, low-cost activities to do with your kids. For more kid-oriented, summer fitness opportunities, check out this great article by Ace Fitness.

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This weekend my son and I are going on a vacation. While we're staying in a cabin, we'll be spending most of our time outdoors -- at the beach, sand dunes, nature trails, and hiking paths. Both my son and I love to explore and check out what nature has to offer. A new web portal, Andy Camper, is all about outdoor adventures for kids.

The site offers dozens of how-to videos for kids; from geocaching to watching the stars. The site aims to get kids excited about the outdoors and to reconnect them with nature through fun, engaging ideas and activities.

My son is really into bugs right now (except spiders... they freak him out). Tonight, we're going to make this cool water viewer to help us look for bugs and other critters in the lake this weekend. Check it out! You're sure to find fun activities for you and your kids whether you're heading out on a special outdoor adventure, or just want to do some exploring in your own backyard.

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Before basketball there was James Naismith and a peach basket. Before volleyball, there was YMCA director William Morgan who had the idea of combining elements of some other sports. Every sport has its history and its inventor... you could be next!

The folks at Horny Toad Activewear and Instructables have paired up to create the Invent a Sport contest. You can put a new twist on an existing sport or start from scratch, but your ideas must be original. After all, Horny Toad has introduced such sports as trampoline dodgeball; they're obviously not thrilled by run-of-the-mill creations.

To enter you just need a description of how the game is played as well as a description of any necessary equipment. A video of people playing the game is helpful, but not required. Give it a shot. You'll have a great time and you may just win a $350 gift card.

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One of the biggest stress inducers for me lately has been finding enough activities to keep my young daughter occupied. Structure and focus seem to be requirements to prevent afternoons filled with whining and crying. Park and pool trips, walks, craft projects, Play Doh and coloring books, and when all else fails, TV. Usually Dora the Explorer.

And then there's her birthday party coming up. She'll be 3. And about 10 other 3-year-olds will be joining her to celebrate. An afternoon of whining, crying 3-year-olds would take more bottles of wine without the "h" than I can afford. So I've come up with the following ideas to get me through the afternoon sober:

• Strategy No. 1: A goal contest with a soccer ball and a Diego doll strategically placed as goalie. They can kick to their heart's content and everyone will get a handmade ribbon for their efforts.
• Strategy No. 2: Craft project. Ten foam sun visors in the same color to prevent fights for favorites. Foam stickers to decorate as well as foam letters to spell out names. Cost for supplies: $28. Value of a few minutes of peace at the party: priceless. Added bonus: the kids have a favor to take home.
• Strategy No. 3: Cupcakes. No ice cream. Save yourself from cutting and serving and scooping. Enough said.

More good news: The first two can be used any old time. And you can find more ideas here. So good luck. And hang in there until September!

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Fitzness Fiends is a section devoted to you, the reader! We all have learned so much on our path to becoming more fit, and now it's time to learn from and inspire each other! Fitzness Fiends are constantly working to better themselves. Some are perfect, some are not. All have health on the mind. Please send Fitz your answers to these questions with a photo of yourself. Time for you to be the motivator!

Name: Renel Gerwig

Age: 47

Occupation: RN. Currently an at home mom of three boys; 14years, 10 years, and 9 years.

How often do you exercise? Four to five days a week.

What type of exercise do you do? Cardio, weight training, and Martial arts (Choi Kwang Do).

What gets you to workout, even when you're feeling lazy? A mental picture of how good the Desperate House Wives look at their ages, and how good it will keep me looking.

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If you ask my 89-year-old great aunt, one of the major downfalls of living so long is that most of your close friends and family died years ago and you're all alone. Still, it's important to make new friends and stay in touch with distant ones, according to this article from Everyday Health. Maintaining relationships helps improve your quality of life as you grow older. It also helps ward off dementia and keeps you mentally sharp.

It's also important to engage in productive activities, whether you need to or not. These could include shopping, gardening, baking or any other chore, hobby or activity that you enjoy.

So, if you're retired, consider joining a club or taking up a hobby or activity that keep you busy and allows you to meet new people. You'll be happier and healthier for years to come.

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Here's a scary statement: this might be the first generation of children who don't outlive their parents. That comes from this article on ways to keep your kids active and fit this summer. I guess at some point technology can't save us -- no matter how advanced we get, good living really is the best medicine.

The ideas they have for getting your kids moving this summer include things like limiting screen time, making things fun, involving the whole family, and role modeling active behavior. The best part about encouraging your kids to live healthier lives is that it can't help but rub off on everybody else in the family too!

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Here at That's Fit, our Daily Fit Tip is all about small steps you can take to make your life healthier. Today, why not trying to burn some calories. You don't need some hour-long sweat session that burns 600 calories or anything ... but how about 100? Burning 100 calories is easier than you think. It's as easy as dancing with your honey for half and hour, going to the park with your kids or gardening for 20 minutes. If you could devote time every day to burning 100 calories, you would be burning an extra 700 calories a week which is sure to pay off after a while.

For me, burning an extra 100 calories is as easy as taking a walk at lunch instead of sitting at my desk. It's refreshing and energizing after hours of toiling away at the computer.

How do you burn 100 calories?

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A little while ago, I did this post on some outdoor activities for the summer that will blast calories and provide hours of entertainment at the same time. I just discovered this eDiet's article that lists some other great outdoor activities, namely Whitewater rafting, frisbee, swinging (at the playground, not another type of swinging), gardening and more. I think it's a great list -- they're all things that you can easily work in to your routine, and as I look out at the gloomy spring showers, I can't wait to get out and about. Whitewater rafting is a favourite summer activity of mine -- it's thrilling, refreshing and a really good workout if you're tackling some serious rapids and not just floating down a river.

What other activities can you think of?

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Easter is just a few days away, and I'm encouraging you to encourage your Easter bunny to consider each child's health while creating a basket. Baskets are a blast and so much fun. They don't have to be filled with sugar, fat, and junk like traditional baskets of the past though.

My kids have never even heard of a Peep and they've always been thrilled with Easter. We fill their baskets with tons of fun, and usually just one small hollow chocolate bunny. They love it and your kids will too. Here are some ideas for both healthy theme baskets and Easter morning fun. Have fun with it, and enjoy the fact that you're putting personal effort into their day. Don't cower to the advertisers pressure to shove junk into the little ones you love the most. Have a day that's exciting, fun, and happy in every way.

Choose a theme such as:

Sports: Balls, mini bats, shin guards, a sports team t-shirt or hat, new sneakers, jump rope, Sports Illustrated for Kids, water bottles, whistle, cones, sweat bands, sports watch, game tickets

Arts & Crafts: Paint, pencil, crayons, brushes, stamps, glue, pom-poms, googly eyes, construction paper, kid scissors, glitter, coloring books, paper bags for puppets

Beach fun: swimsuit, colorful kid sun-block, visor, shovel, pail, mini umbrella, summer Barbie, books, a personalized voucher for a trip to the beach, water park or pool, slip and slide, make a kiddie pool the basket, water bottles